This bill proposes the elimination of the Board of Public Assistance and revises the procedures for appeals related to public assistance programs. Specifically, it amends Section 53-2-606 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to replace references to the "board of public assistance" with the "department," thereby transferring the responsibility for handling appeals from the board to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Additionally, the bill repeals Section 2-15-2203, which pertains to the Board of Public Assistance, effectively dissolving the board.

The bill includes provisions for a transition period, ensuring that the board remains operational until all pending appeals filed before the effective date of the bill are resolved. It also establishes a saving clause to protect rights and duties that matured before the bill's effective date. The act is set to take effect upon passage, with specific provisions regarding the repeal of the board taking effect on October 1, 2023, and the new appeal procedures applying to appeals filed on or after the effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 53-2-606