Chapter 58. To establish a Board of Public Welfare in and for the District of Columbia, to determine its functions, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 58.— An Act To establish a Board of Public Welfare in and for the District of Columbia, to determine its functions, and for other purposes.March 16, 1926.[[S. 1430](/us/bill/69/s/1430).][[Public, No. 47](/us/pl/69/47).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,District of Columbia.Designated boards of, abolished.Vol. 31, p. 664.Vol. 27, p. 268. That the Board of Charities of the District of Columbia, created by Act of Congress June 6, 1900, the Board of Children's Guardians of the District of Columbia, created by Act of Congress July 26, 1892, the board of trustees of the National Training School for Girls, created Vol. 25, p. 245.under the name of the Reform School for Girls, by Act of Congress July 9, 1888, shall be abolished upon the appointment and organization of the Board of Public Welfare, as hereinafter provided.
Sec. 2. Board of Public Welfare.Created as successor to abolished boards. That there is hereby created in and for the District of Columbia a Board of Public Welfare, hereinafter called the board, which shall be the legal successor to the boards specified in section 1, and shall succeed to all of the powers, authority, and property and to all the duties and obligations heretofore vested in or imposed by Employees and appropriations transferred.law upon such boards. All employees of the boards specified in section 1 shall become the employees of the board for such time as their services may be deemed necessary, and the unexpended balance of all appropriations heretofore made for such boards, or to be disbursed by them, shall become available for the use and disbursement of the board.
Sec. 3. Composition of board. That the hoard shall consist of nine members who shall be appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia for terms of six years, provided that the first appointments made under Terms.this Act shall be for the following terms: Three persons shall be appointed for terms of two years; three persons shall be appointed for terms of four years; and three persons shall be appointed for terms of six years. Thereafter all appointments shall be for Residence requirements, etc.six years.
No person shall be eligible for membership on the board who has not been a legal resident of the District of Columbia for at least three years. Any member of such board may be removed at any time for cause by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. Appointments to the board shall be made without discrimination as No compensation.to sex, color, religion, or political affiliation. The members of the board shall serve without compensation. Sec. 4. Organization, meetings, etc.
That within ten days after the appointment of its members the board shall meet and elect a chairman, vice chairman, and 209secretary, who shall severally discharge the duties usual to such offices and shall serve for terms of one year or until their successors are elected. The board shall hold not less than nine regular monthly meetings during each year. Special meetings may be held upon the call of the chairman, or, if he be absent or incapacitated, upon the call of the vice chairman and also upon the call, in writing, of not less than three members.
The board shall have authority to makeRules, etc., authorized. all necessary rules, regulations, and administrative orders governing the organization of its work and the discharge of its duties as will promote efficiency of service and economy of operation. Sec. 5. That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia,Director of public welfare. upon the nomination of the board, are hereby authorized to appointOffice created, appointment, and duties. a director of public welfare, which position is hereby authorized and created, who shall be the chief executive officer of the board and shall be charged, subject to its general supervision, with the executive and administrative duties provided for in this Act.
TheQualifications. director shall be a person of such training, experience, and capacity as will especially qualify him or her to discharge the duties of the office. The director of public welfare may be discharged by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia upon recommendation of the board. All other employees of the board shall be appointedOther employees. and discharged in like manner as in the case of the director. TheCompensation. director of public welfare and other necessary employees shall receive compensation in accordance with the rates established by the Classification Act of 1923.
Sec. 6. That the board shall have complete and exclusive controlInstitutions put under control of board. and management of the following institutions of the District of Columbia:
(a)The workhouse at Occoquan in the State of Virginia;
(b)the reformatory at Lorton in the State of Virginia;
(c)the Washington Asylum and Jail;
(d)the National Training School for Girls; in the District of Columbia and at Muirkirk in the State of Maryland;
(e)the Gallinger Municipal Hospital;
(f)the Tuberculosis Hospital;
(g)the Home for the Aged and Infirm;
(h)the Municipal Lodging House;
(i)the Industrial Home School;
(j)the Industrial Home School for Colored Children;
(k)District Training School in Anne Arundel County, in the State of Maryland. Sec. 7. That the superintendents and all other employees nowSupervision of personnel of institutions. engaged in the operation of the institutions enumerated in section 6 shall hereafter be subject to the supervision of the board. Each superintendent shall have the management and control of the institution to which he is appointed and shall be subordinate to tire director of public welfare. The superintendent and all otherAppointment, etc. employees of each of the institutions enumerated in section 6 shall be appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia upon nomination by the board and shall be subject to discharge by the commissioners upon recommendation of the board. Sec. 8. That the unexpended balance of all appropriations heretoforeUnexpended balances for institutions available. made for the institutions enumerated in section 6 shall be available for their use after the passage of this Act in like manner as before, under the direction of the board. Sec. 9. That it shall be the duty of the board to make such rulesRegulations of ad-admissions to, and administration of, institutions, to be made. and regulations relating to the admission of persons to, and the administration of, the institutions hereinbefore referred to, as will promote discipline and good conduct of inmates and employees and efficiency and economy in the operation of these institutions. Under the authority ‘herein granted, the board may prescribe forms of record keeping to secure accuracy and completeness in the registration of persons under care and the services rendered in their behalf. The board may recommend to the Comptroller 210General of the United States, and the Comptroller General may Accounting.prescribe, so far as practicable, a uniform system of accounts to record receipts and disbursements and to determine comparative costs of operation. Sec. 10. Board of Charities.Powers of, transferred. That the following powers and duties heretofore imposed by law upon the board of charities shall be vested in the board, and the unexpended balance of all appropriations made for the purpose of discharging such powers and duties shall become Care, etc., of indigent persons.available to the board:
(a)To provide for the transportation to their respective places of residence of nonresident indigent persons, and to provide for indigent persons, who are legal residents of the District of Columbia, medical care and treatment when necessary, under contracts with such hospitals as are or may be designated by Indigent insane.law;
(b)to provide for the transportation to their respective places of residence, of nonresident insane persons and to afford hospital care for indigent insane persons who are legal residents of the District of Columbia in such hospital or hospitals as are or may Boys at Training School.be designated by law;
(c)to provide for the maintenance of boys committed by the courts of the District of Columbia to the National Training School for Boys under contracts which are or may be Aged, infirm, or needy persons.authorized by law;
(d)to provide for all other aged, inform, or needy persons, including women and children, in the manner heretofore authorized by law or by appropriations enacted by the Congress. Other existing powers, etc., continued.The foregoing enumeration shall not be in derogation of any further powers or duties now vested by law in the Board of Charities and such powers and duties are hereby, vested in the board. Sec. 11. Board of Children’s Guardians.Powers, etc., of, transferred. That the following powers and duties heretofore imposed by law upon the Board of Children’s Guardians shall be vested in the board and the unexpended balance of all appropriations made for the purpose of discharging such powers and duties shall become Temporary care of children.available to the board:
(a)The board may make temporary provision for the care of children pending investigation of their status; Guardianship of children committed by courts.(b) to have the care and legal guardianship of children who may be committed by courts of competent jurisdiction and to make such provision for their care and maintenance, either temporarily or permanently, in private homes or in public or private institutions, Placement in homes, etc., of like faith of parents.as the welfare of the child may require. The board shall cause all of its wards placed out under care to be visited as often as may be required to safeguard their welfare and when children are placed in family homes or private institutions, so far as practicable such homes or institutions shall be in control of persons of like faith with the parents of such children: *Provided*, That whenever the *Proviso*.Record of reason if placed elsewhere.board shall for any reason place the child with any organization, institution, or individual other than of the same religious faith as that of the parents of the child, the board shall set forth the reason Care of feeble-minded children.for such action in the record of the case;
(c)to provide care and maintenance for feeble-minded children who may be received upon application or upon court commitment, in institutions equipped to receive them, within or without the District of Columbia. Other existing powers continued.The foregoing enumeration shall not be in derogation of any further powers or duties now vested by law in the Board of Children’s Guardians, and such powers anil duties are hereby vested in the board. Sec. 12. National Training School for Girls.Authority over. That the duties heretofore imposed by law upon the board of trustees of the National Training School for Girls concerning the admission, care, parole, and discharge of inmates shall be vested in the board. Sec. 13. Annual budget to be submitted to Commissioners. That it shall be the duty of the board to prepare and submit to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, in such 211manner as they shall require, an annual budget itemizing the appropriations necessary to the proper discharge of the duties imposed by law upon the board and for the support and maintenance of theReport of activities. institutions under its management. The board shall also submit to the commissioners an annual report of its activities and the work carried on under its direction, together with its recommendations for securing more efficient and humane care for all persons in need of public assistance. The board shall study from time to time theStudies of social conditions in relation to children to be made. social and environmental conditions of the District of Columbia and shall incorporate in its reports the results thereof and recommendations designed to further safeguard the interests and well-being of the children of the District of Columbia and to diminish and ameliorate poverty and disease and to lessen crime. ExceptChildren to be placed in institutions, etc., of religious faith of percents. in the placement of children in institutions under the public control, the board shall when practicable place them in institutions or homes of the same religious faith as the parents: *Provided*, That whenever*Proviso*.Record if placed elsewhere. the board shall for any reason place the child with any organization, institution, or individual other than of the same religious faith as that of the parents of the child, the board shall set forth the reason for such action in the record of the case. Inmates of public institutionsReligious freedom to inmates of institutions. shall be given the fullest opportunity for the practice of their religion. Sec. 14. The provisions of this Act shall take effect on and afterEffective July 1, 1926. July 1, 1926. Sec. 15. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are herebyInconsistent laws repealed. repealed. Approved, March 16, 1926.