Sec. 8. (a) The military family relief fund is established to provide short term assistance with food, housing, utilities, medical services, basic transportation, child care, education, employment or workforce, and other essential family support expenses that have become difficult to afford for qualified service members or dependents of qualified service members.
(b) Except as provided in section 9 of this chapter, the department shall expend the money in the fund exclusively to provide grants for assistance as described in subsection (a).
(c) The department shall give priority to applications for grants for assistance from the fund to qualified service members or dependents of qualified service members who have never received a grant under this chapter.
(d) Subject to the approval of the budget agency, the commission shall establish the maximum total dollar amount of grants that may be expended in a state fiscal year. Once the maximum total dollar amount of grants that may be expended in a state fiscal year is reached, no additional grants may be authorized until the start of the following state fiscal year.
(e) The director shall each year provide a report to the budget committee concerning the grant program under this chapter.
(f) A qualified service member or the qualified service member's dependent may be eligible to receive assistance from the fund.
(g) The commission shall administer the fund.
As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.144-2007, SEC.12; P.L.151-2007, SEC.2; P.L.3-2008, SEC.86; P.L.50-2009, SEC.6; P.L.113-2010, SEC.77; P.L.54-2012, SEC.1; P.L.169-2013, SEC.5; P.L.7-2014, SEC.1; P.L.99-2016, SEC.9; P.L.42-2020, SEC.13.