[§346-14.5]  Financial assistance advisorycouncil; established.  (a)  There is created within the department foradministrative purposes the financial assistance advisory council.  Thefinancial assistance advisory council shall be composed of fifteen membersappointed by the director.  The members of the financial assistance advisorycouncil shall serve at the pleasure of the director and without compensation.

(b)  The financial assistance advisory councilshall have the function of rendering advice and information to the departmenton matters relating to financial assistance programs including rendering adviceand information for the determination of the amount of benefit payments undersections 346-52, 346-53, and 346-71, including but not limited to temporaryassistance to needy families (TANF), temporary assistance to other needyfamilies (TAONF), and general assistance to households without minordependents.  The council shall be advisory and informational in nature only andshall not have the power to adopt rules.

(c)  The financial assistance advisory councilmay request the assistance of professional facilitators and mediators asnecessary. [L 1998, c 127, §1]