Sec. 5.
(1) A qualified individual or the individual's family shall apply to the department for a grant from the fund. A qualified individual or the individual's family may apply for more than 1 grant in any year.
(2) At the time that a qualified individual or the individual's family applies for a grant from the fund, the department shall provide the applicant with copies of financial planning materials and information at no cost to the applicant.
(3) The department shall determine criteria and review applications for grants from the fund.
(4) The department shall determine if the applicant is eligible for a grant from the fund and shall determine the amount of the individual's grant.
(5) Not more than 30 days after the department receives an application, the department shall notify the applicant of the receipt of the application and the status of the application which shall be 1 of the following:
(a) The applicant is eligible for a grant, the date when the applicant will receive that grant, and the amount of the grant.
(b) The applicant is eligible for a grant but no funds are available and the application will be kept on file until money becomes available.
(c) The applicant is not eligible for a grant and the reasons why.
(6) If an application is denied because the applicant is not eligible, the applicant is not prohibited from subsequently applying for a grant for that purpose or any other purpose.
(7) Within the first 30 days of each calendar year, the department shall begin to distribute the money that was in the fund at the end of the immediately preceding state fiscal year to grant applicants until the money in the fund is exhausted.
(8) The maximum total amount that any qualified individual and that qualified individual's family can receive in any 1 calendar year is $2,000.00. If the department determines that the qualified individual or the qualified individual's family is in an emergency situation or their needs are extreme, the department may waive the maximum under this subsection.
History: 2004, Act 363, Imd. Eff. Oct. 6, 2004