IC 12-20-5.5
    Chapter 5.5. Township Assistance Standards

IC 12-20-5.5-1
Processing applications; nondiscrimination
    Sec. 1. (a) The township trustee shall process all applications fortownship assistance according to uniform written standards andwithout consideration of the race, creed, nationality, or gender of theapplicant or any member of the applicant's household.
    (b) The township's standards for the issuance of townshipassistance and the processing of applications must be:
        (1) governed by the requirements of this article;
        (2) proposed by the township trustee, adopted by the townshipboard, and filed with the board of county commissioners;
        (3) reviewed and updated annually to reflect changes in the costof basic necessities in the township and changes in the law;
        (4) published in a single written document, including addendaattached to the document; and
        (5) posted in a place prominently visible to the public in alloffices of the township trustee where township assistanceapplications are taken or processed.
As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.73-2005,SEC.24.

IC 12-20-5.5-2
Standards; content
    Sec. 2. (a) Standards for the administration of township assistancemust contain the following:
        (1) Criteria for determining township assistance eligibility.
        (2) Minimum requirements of township trustee accessibility.
        (3) Other information as needed, including the following:
            (A) Township office locations, hours, and days ofavailability.
            (B) Initial eligibility criteria.
            (C) Continuing eligibility criteria.
            (D) Workfare requirements.
            (E) Essential and nonessential assets.
            (F) Available resources.
            (G) Income exemptions.
            (H) Application process.
            (I) Countable income.
            (J) Countable assets.
            (K) Wasted resources.
    (b) Standards for the administration of township assistance mustexclude a Holocaust victim's settlement payment received by aneligible individual from countable assets and countable income.
As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.128-1999,SEC.25; P.L.73-2005, SEC.25.

IC 12-20-5.5-3 Adequate access ensured; telephone number; office
    Sec. 3. (a) The township trustee shall ensure adequate access totownship assistance services, including a published telephonenumber in the name of the township.
    (b) A township assistance office, if separate from the townshiptrustee's residence, must be designated by a clearly visible sign thatlists the:
        (1) township trustee's name;
        (2) availability of township assistance; and
        (3) township assistance office's telephone number.
The sign must conform to all local zoning and signage restrictions.
As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.73-2005,SEC.26.

IC 12-20-5.5-4
Scheduled hours of township trustee
    Sec. 4. (a) This section does not apply to a township trustee whohas assisted less than fifty-one (51) households during each of thetwo (2) years immediately preceding the date of the townshiptrustee's annual report under IC 12-20-28-3.
    (b) To ensure minimum accessibility, a township trustee operatinga township assistance office in a township with a population of atleast ten thousand (10,000) shall provide scheduled office hours fortownship assistance and staff each office with an individual qualifiedto:
        (1) determine eligibility; and
        (2) issue relief sufficient to meet the township assistance needsof the township.
    (c) To meet the requirements of subsection (b), the townshiptrustee shall do the following:
        (1) Provide township assistance office hours for at leastfourteen (14) hours per week.
        (2) Provide that there is not more than one (1) weekday betweenthe days the township assistance office is open.
        (3) Provide for after hours access to the township assistanceoffice by use of an answering machine or a service:
            (A) capable of taking messages; and
            (B) programmed to provide information about townshipassistance office hours.
        (4) Respond to a telephone inquiry for township assistanceservices not more than twenty-four (24) hours, excludingSaturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receiving theinquiry.
        (5) Post township assistance office hours and telephonenumbers at the entrance to each township assistance office.
As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.73-2005,SEC.27.

IC 12-20-5.5-5
Inclusion of standards governing provision of basic necessities    Sec. 5. The township's standards for the administration oftownship assistance must include all applicable standards governingthe provision of basic necessities, including maximum amounts,special conditions, or other limitations on eligibility, if any have beenestablished for one (1) or more basic necessities.
As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.73-2005,SEC.28.

IC 12-20-5.5-6
Income standards
    Sec. 6. (a) A township trustee shall set income standards for thetownship that provide for financial eligibility in an amount consistentwith reasonable costs of basic necessities in the trustee's particulartownship.
    (b) A township trustee may not consider a Holocaust victim'ssettlement payment received by an eligible individual when settingincome standards under this section.
As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.128-1999,SEC.26.