# Title 50 — Public Welfare

## Chapter 50-01 — County Poor Relief, Administration

### § 50-01-01. Human service zone obligated to support poor - Eligibility for assistance.

Within the limits of the human service zone appropriation, each human service zone in this
state is obligated, upon receipt of a written application, to provide general assistance to persons
who are residents of the human service zone and who are eligible. To be eligible for general
assistance, the applicant:
1. May not have made, before or after making an application for general assistance, an
assignment or transfer of property for the purpose of rendering the applicant eligible
for assistance.
2. Shall comply with the written eligibility standards for general assistance established by
the human service zone director or department of health and human services. A copy
of the written standards must be available upon request. Pursuant to this requirement,
the ownership of property by an applicant for general assistance, or by the spouse of
the applicant, either individually or jointly, or of insurance on the life of the applicant
does not preclude the granting of assistance if the applicant is without funds for the
applicant's support.
### § 50-01-01.1. Determination of eligibility - Notice - Appeal.

The human service zone director or the director's designee is responsible for determining,
within a reasonable period of time, an applicant's eligibility for general assistance under this
chapter. The applicant must be provided written notice of the determination. The notice must
include the reasons for the determination, as well as an explanation of the applicant's right to a
timely appeal of the determination to the human service zone board if aggrieved by the decision.
Decisions of the human service zone board regarding appeals taken pursuant to this section are
subject to judicial review in the manner prescribed by chapter 28-32.
### § 50-01-02. General assistance jurisdiction.

The human service zone, through the human service zone director, or the director's
designee, has exclusive jurisdiction and control of the administration of general assistance
within the human service zone, except as otherwise provided in this title.
### § 50-01-03. County social service board may accept property or security.

Repealed by S.L. 2019, ch 391, § 139.
### § 50-01-04. Records to be kept.

Every person who administers general assistance shall maintain reasonable records.
### § 50-01-05. Reports to county social service board.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-06. Blanks and reports prepared by counties.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-07. County social service board - Members - Qualifications.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-07.1. County social service board to be substituted for county welfare board.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.

### § 50-01-08. Members of county social service board - Term of office - Oath -

Compensation.
Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-08.1. Out-of-state travel approval.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-09. Duties of county social service board.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-09.1. Reimbursement of county for public assistance to nonresidents

occasioned by federal projects.
Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-09.2. Allocation to counties by state for poor relief expenditures.

Repealed by S.L. 1993, ch. 2, § 27.
### § 50-01-10. Removal of members of the board.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-11. Investigation of application for poor relief.

Repealed by omission from this code.
### § 50-01-12. Relief provided when residence uncertain.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-13. Medical attention and hospitalization furnished poor.

Within the limits of the human service zone appropriation, the human service zone promptly
shall provide necessary medical services, covered in the written eligibility standards for general
assistance, for any poor person in the human service zone who is not provided for in a public
institution. The human service zone shall cause to be furnished to the person the necessary
covered medicines prescribed by a physician. Necessary covered hospitalization must be
furnished by the human service zone upon approval or subsequent ratification by the human
service zone director or the director's designee. If the poor person is a nonresident of the state,
the human service zone furnishing the medical services must be reimbursed within the limits of
funds appropriated for that purpose by the legislative assembly for eighty percent of the
expenses incurred in carrying out this section. The reimbursement must be made upon
vouchers having the approval of the department of health and human services.
### § 50-01-14. Restrictions on aid furnished nonresidents.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-15. Transportation not furnished to nonresident.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-16. Complaint in behalf of the poor.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-17. Person required to work.

If a person applying for general assistance is able to work, or if any member of that person's
family is able to work, the human service zone in which the person is a resident may insist that
those able to work seek employment and the human service zone director or the director's
designee may refuse to furnish any assistance until it is satisfied that the person claiming
assistance is endeavoring to find work. The human service zone may attempt to secure, for a

person claiming general assistance, who is able to work, employment in the county where the
person resides and may call upon residents of the county to aid the human service zone in
finding work for that person.
### § 50-01-17.1. Work requirement conditions.

If a person applying for general assistance is able to work, the human service zone director
or the director's designee, at its option, may require the applicant to comply with any or all of the
following provisions as a condition to receiving general assistance:
1. To register with job service North Dakota.
2. To participate in work incentive programs in accordance with the guidelines
established for public assistance programs.
3. To accept work which is available through community work experience programs.
### § 50-01-17.2. Community work experience programs - Development.

The department of health and human services may develop community work experience
programs through agreements with any public entity, nonprofit agency or organization, or in
conjunction with, or through utilization of, applicable federal programs. The number of hours to
be worked may be determined by dividing the amount of the assistance payment by the
prevailing minimum wage.
### § 50-01-17.3. Community work experience program requirements.

Any community work experience program established pursuant to this chapter must
provide:
1. That appropriate health, safety, and work conditions exist.
2. That the program does not result in displacement of persons currently employed.
3. That the program does not apply to jobs covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
4. That recipients will not be required to travel an unreasonable distance from their
homes or to remain away from their homes overnight.
5. That the human service zone shall provide for transportation and all other costs
reasonably necessary for and directly related to a recipient's participation in the
program.
### § 50-01-17.4. Community work experience program participation.

No recipient may be required to participate in a work experience program if:
1. The position offered is vacant because of a strike, lockout, or other labor dispute.
2. The recipient would be required to join a company union or to resign from or refrain
from joining any legitimate labor organization.
3. Participation would impose a hardship on the recipient or the recipient's family
because of illness, physical or mental disability, or remoteness of the recipient's
residence from the place of employment.
### § 50-01-17.5. Refusal to comply with work requirements - Denial of relief.

Refusal of any applicant or recipient, without good cause, to comply with any work
requirements established pursuant to this chapter may be grounds for denial or termination of
general assistance.
### § 50-01-18. Refusal of poor person to work.

Repealed by S.L. 1981, ch. 485, § 6.
### § 50-01-19. Duty of relative to aid - Right of recovery by county.

Repealed by S.L. 2019, ch. 129, § 2.
### § 50-01-20. Assistance by relatives.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.

### § 50-01-21. County and department have preferred claim against estate of recipient of

county general assistance or general assistance.
Funds used for subsistence, medical, hospital, or burial expenses of a recipient of county
general assistance or general assistance may not be considered as gifts, and the county and
department have a preferred claim against the estate of any person who has received county
general assistance or general assistance for funds expended for that person and that person's
legal dependents. The statute of limitations does not run on this type of claim.
### § 50-01-22. Actions and proceedings - Duty of state's attorneys.

Repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 456, § 25.
### § 50-01-23. Sending pauper out of county unlawful - Prosecution.

Repealed by S.L. 1975, ch. 106, § 673.
### § 50-01-24. Penalty for bringing pauper into the county.

Repealed by S.L. 1975, ch. 106, § 673.
### § 50-01-25. Fraudulent acts - Penalty.

Repealed by S.L. 1975, ch. 106, § 673.
### § 50-01-26. Human service zone of residence for county general assistance purposes.

A person who has residence in this state, for general assistance purposes, is a resident of
the human service zone in which the person is living on other than a temporary basis. If a
person is living in a human service zone on a temporary basis, the person is a resident of the
human service zone in which the person most recently lived other than on a temporary basis.
### § 50-01-27. State of residence for county general assistance purposes.

A person who is a resident of this state for purposes of chapter 50-24.5 is a resident of this
state for county general assistance purposes. If a person moves from this state for other than a
temporary purpose, the person's residency in this state for county general assistance purposes
is lost. Residency in this state is presumed lost if:
1. The person plans to be absent or has been absent from this state for one year or
longer; or
2. The person receives any form of public or general assistance, while in another state,
which is available only to residents of that state.
### § 50-01-28. Change of residence to another human service zone.

If a person who is receiving general assistance in one human service zone becomes a
resident of another human service zone in this state, the human service zone from which the
person moves shall forward appropriate records and files to the new human service zone of
residence.
### § 50-01-29. Persons with uncertain residence.

If the residence of a person is uncertain for general assistance purposes, the human service
zone in which the person lives shall provide county general assistance until that person's
residence is determined.
