No. 19 3rd Session, 15th Legislature Alberta 14 Elizabeth II ' BILL 19 A Bill to amend The Public Welfare Act HON. MR. HALMRAST Printed by L. S. WALL. Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, Edmonton, Alberta, 1966

'Explanatory Note I. This Bill will amend

chapter 268 of the Reviied Statutes.

Section 6 is revised to make it applicable to preventive meas­ ures as well as rehabilitation.

Section 9, subsection (1) pre,sently reads: 9.

(1) The Minister may from time to time appoint such committees as are deemed desirable consisting of not more than three persons for the purpose (

a) of making a thorough inVestigation into problems of material aid and putting forward recommendations for remedial changes, and (b, of arranging for the acquisition of supplies (}f fruit, vegeta.bles and clothing for public distribution, Clause (

b) is obsolete. 4. An advisory board is established in the Department of Public Welfare.

BILL No. 19 of 1966

An Act to amend The Public Welfare Act (Assented to , 1966) HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta, enacts as follows: 1. The Public Welfare Act is hereby amended.

Section 6 is struck out and the following is substituted: 6. Out of the moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose, the Minister may make such provision as is expedient or desirable (

a) for the establishment, operation and co-ordination of preventive social services programs and rehabili­ tation projects directed toward enabling and encour­ aging persons to become or remain self sufficient and useful members of society, and (

b) for assisting persons to maintain or achieve physi­ cal, mental, economic and vocational usefulness.

Section 9, subsection (1) is amended by striking out clause (b). 4. The following heading and sections are added after

section 10: Public Welfare Commission lOa.

(1) There shall be a body to be known as the Public Welfare Commission which shall consist of not less than three and not mOore than five members.

(2) The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council from the officers and employees in the Department.

5. A new

section is added to ensure that municipalities provide adequate material aid. 2

(3) The Lieutenant Go,:ernor in Council shall appoint one of the members as. chaIrman aJ?-d may appoint another m~IJ?-ber as deputy cha~rman 'vho, In the absence of or in­ abIlIty to act of the chaIrman, may exercise all the functions and powers of the chairman. lOb. The Public Welfare Commission is empowered to (

a) advise the Minister on matters relating to public welfare, (

b) assist and advise the officers and employees of the Department in the administration of this and any other Act being administered by the Depart­ ment, (

c) encourage the development and maintenance of high standards of public welfare and other social services in Alberta, (

d) prescribe standards and methods of work to be maintained and adopted by employees in the Depart­ ment in all areas of welfare work, and (

e) perform such other duties as may be assigned to it by the Minister or the Lieutenant Governor in Council. lOco

(1) Any person affected by a decision of any em­ ployee of the Department on any matter under this Act may appeal to the Public 'Welfare Commission for a re­ view of the decision and the Commission may confirm, reverse or vary the decision as, in its discretion, it con­ siders proper in the circumstances.

(2) Any person affected by a decision of the Commis­ sion under subsection (1) may appeal to the Minister for a review of the decision and the Minister may confirm, vary or reverse the decision as, in his discretion, he con­ siders proper in the circumstances. 5. The following

section is added after

section 30: 31.

(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulations, prescribe for the purposes of this Part (

a) what constitutes adequate material aid and an ade­ quate food allowance, or (

b) the basis of calculation to be used in determining what constitutes adequate material aid or an ade­ quate food allowance.

(2) Where a municipality responsible for the provision of material aid or a food allowance to a person (

a) fails or refuses to provide material aid or a food allowance to the person, or (

b) fails or refuses to provide adequate material aid or an adequate food allowance to the person, the Minister may out of the moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of this Act, give such assistance 2

Section 34 presently reads: 34. A municipality shall bear all expenses in connection with the adlninistration of material aid given under this Part. 7. Appointment of municipal welfare workers.

Section 44, clause (

b) presently reads: (b) "dependant", with respect to any person, means his spouse and includes any child who is dependent upon him for support and who (

i) is not over the age of <;1ixteen years, or (ii) is over sixteen but under nineteen years M age and who attends school and is making satisfactory progress; This defines "dependant" for the purposes of social allowances. 3

to the person as will provide that person with adequate material aid or an adequate food allowance, as the case may be.

(3) Where the Minister provides assistance to any per­ son pursuant to subsection (2), the amount may be recov­ ered from the responsible municipality by action or by with­ holding it from any grant payable to the municipality under this or any other Act.

Section 34 is amended by adding after the words "A municipality shall" the words ", subject to The Preventive Social Services Act,". 7. The following

section is added after

section 34: 34a.

(1) Each municipality, other than an improve­ ment district or special area, shall appoint one or more welfare workers for the municipality, and notice of each appointment shall be given forthwith to the Public Wel­ fare Commission.

(2) A welfare worker appointed as required by subsec­ tion (1) shall not undertake any duties as a welfare worker unless his appointment is approved by the Commission.

(3) The approval of an appointment by the Commission expires at the end of the year in which it is given, but may be renewed annually by the Commission on the appli­ cation of the municipality employing the welfare worker.

(4) Where the Commission is satisfied that a welfare worker appointed by a municipality has not adopted or is not maintaining the standards and methods of work pre­ scribed pursuant to subsection (5), then the Commission (

a) may withdraw its approval of the appointment of the welfare worker, or (

b) may refuse to renew the approval of such a person as a welfare worker, when the municipality applies for a renewal of the approval. (5) 'The Minister may prescribe standards of qualifica­ tion for and standards and methods of work to be main­ tained and adopted by welfare workers appointed by munici­ palities.

Section 44, clause (

b) is amended by striking out subclause (ii) and by substituting the following: (ii) is over sixteen but under twenty-one years of age and who either attends school to which The School Act applies and is making satis­ factory progress or is incapable of attending such a school by reason of mental or physical infirmity; 3

Section 46, subsection (1), clause (

b) presently reads: 46.

(1) A social allowance shall be paid only to or in respect of a person (

b) who, being a mother having the custody of and personally caring for her dependent child or children, is unable to earn an income sufficient to pay for the basic necessities of herself and her dependants, and who, if the social allowance were not paid, would, in the opinion of the Supervisor, be likely to lack the basic necessities. The present clause only appl'ies to a mother with respect to her own child. The amending clause (

b) is applicable to any person, male or female, who is actually caring for a child who is dependant on that person for support. Clause (

c) is new. 10. Commencement of Act.

Section 46, subsection (1) is amended by striking out clause (

b) and by substituting the following: (

b) who, having the custody of and personally caring for a dependent child, is unable to earn an income sufficient to pay for the basic necessities of him­ self and the dependent child, or (

c) who may benefit from rehabilitative services and who is unable to earn an income sufficient to pay for the basic necessities of himself and his depend­ ants, if any, and at the same time receive the re­ habilitative service, 10. This Act comes into force on the day upon which it is assented to.

No. 19 THIRD SESSION FIFTEENTH LEGISLATURE 14 ELIZABETH II 1966 BILL

An Act to amend The Public Welfare Act Received and read the First time .................... . Second time ...................... . Third time ............ . HON. MR. HALMRAST Title: 1966 (15th, 3rd) Bill 19,

An Act to amend The Public Welfare Act