Section 403 - Uniformity in administration of assistance; regulations as to assistance(a) The department is responsible for maintaining uniformity in the administration of public welfare, including general assistance, throughout the Commonwealth.(b) The department shall establish rules, regulations and standards, consistent with the law, as to eligibility for assistance and as to its nature and extent. The department is authorized to seek waivers from the Federal Government to enhance consistency between Federal program standards, requirements or procedures. This shall not be interpreted to require the department to seek waivers to achieve consistency among standards, requirements or procedures in Federal programs, except as specifically required under other provisions in this article. Whenever possible, except for residency requirements for general assistance, and consistent with State law, the department shall establish rules, regulations and standards for general assistance consistent with those established for aid to families with dependent children. In no instance shall the rules, regulations and standards established for general assistance provide for assistance greater than that provided for aid to families with dependent children. If three or more general assistance recipients reside together in the same household, their income eligibility and cash assistance shall be no greater than income eligibility and cash assistance from aid to families with dependent children for a household of the same size. The secretary or a written designee is the only person authorized to adopt regulations, orders, or standards of general application to implement, interpret, or make specific the law administered by the department. The secretary shall issue interim regulations whenever changes in Federal laws and regulations supersede existing statutes. In adopting regulations, orders, or standards of general application, the secretary shall strive for clarity of language which may be readily understood by those administering assistance and by those who apply for or receive assistance. For the purpose of this subsection, the term "household" does not include single-room occupancy residences, rooming houses, nonprofit residential programs or personal care facilities receiving charitable funding or Federal, State or local government funding.(c) Whenever a recipient of public assistance, as a prerequisite to receiving assistance or otherwise, has been required to encumber in favor of the Commonwealth any property, or to give any bond, note or other obligation in any sum to secure the repayment of moneys received as assistance or for any other purposes, and such bonds, notes, judgments, mortgages, or other obligations are thereafter assigned by the Commonwealth to any third party, the assignee shall not be entitled to collect, and the person liable for the payment of the lien or obligation shall not be liable for the payment of, any amount greater than the amount the assignee paid for the assignment, notwithstanding the face amount of such lien or obligation. This provision shall not be effective as to the collection of interest accruing after the date of the assignment or costs of collection.(d) No general assistance shall be paid to any full-time student at a college or university who has not participated in a Federally subsidized program for dependent children within the previous five years.(e) Beginning no later than December 31, 1982, the department shall conduct annual quality control reviews of the general assistance caseload in accordance with a methodology and scope determined by the department.(f) No general assistance shall be paid to initial applicants who voluntarily terminate their employment until thirty days after the date of termination.(g) Regulations which authorize payment for purchase of an automobile, for parts for an automobile or for repair of an automobile for a recipient of public assistance shall provide that the payment shall be made jointly to the seller of the automobile or parts or the garage or mechanic which made the repairs and the recipient.1967, June 13, P.L. 31, No. 21, art. 4, § 403. Amended 1976, July 15, P.L. 993, No. 202, § 2, effective in 60 days; 1979, Dec. 7, P.L. 485, No. 102, § 1, effective in 60 days; 1982, April 8, P.L. 231, No. 75, § 2; 1994, June 16, P.L. 319, No. 49, § 3, effective in 60 days; 1995, June 30, P.L. 129, No. 20, § 2, imd. effective; 1996, May 16, P.L. 175, No. 35, § 3, imd. effective.