If a beneficiary of assistance under the state supplement program, medical assistance program, aid to families with dependent children program, temporary family assistance program, state-administered general assistance program, food stamp program or supplemental nutrition assistance program receives any award or grant over the amount to which he is entitled under the laws governing eligibility, the Department of Social Services (1) shall immediately initiate recoupment action and shall consult with the Division of Criminal Justice to determine whether to refer such overpayment, with full supporting information, to the state police, to a prosecuting authority for prosecution or to the Attorney General for civil recovery, or (2) shall take such other action as conforms to federal regulations, including, but not limited to, conducting administrative disqualification hearings for cases involving alleged fraud in the food stamp program, supplemental nutrition assistance program, the aid to families with dependent children program, the temporary family assistance program or the state-administered general assistance program.

(1969, P.A. 730, S. 11; P.A. 74-140, S. 2; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 123, 486, 587, 608, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-146, S. 1; P.A. 85-564, S. 9, 12; P.A. 86-403, S. 36, 132; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8, S. 57, 63; P.A. 92-90; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 36, 165; P.A. 09-9, S. 15.)

History: P.A. 74-140 made discontinuance of award optional rather than mandatory when recipient convicted of offense involving overpayment and added reference to commissioner's taking other action in conformity with federal regulations; P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare department with department of social services; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced central collections division of finance and control department with division of state police within the department of public safety (successor agency to state police department) and social services department with department of income maintenance, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-146 changed applicable overpayments from any amount over the amount awarded to amounts $500 or more over the amount awarded; P.A. 85-564 made the existing section Subsec. (a) and added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re action taken on overpayments and re administrative hearing process; P.A. 86-403 made technical changes to Subsec. (a); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8 changed the overpayment threshold to $2,000 and required immediate initiation of administrative recoupment; P.A. 92-90 entirely replaced prior provisions with modified procedure for recoupment of overpayments; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-82m transferred to Sec. 17b-88 in 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 made technical changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 09-9 inserted references to supplemental nutrition assistance program and made technical changes, effective May 4, 2009.