Sec. 4. (a) This section does not apply to a township trustee who has assisted less than fifty-one (51) households during each of the two (2) years immediately preceding the date of the township trustee's annual report under IC 12-20-28-3.

(b) To ensure minimum accessibility, a township trustee operating a township assistance office in a township with a population of at least ten thousand (10,000) shall provide scheduled office hours for township assistance and staff each office with an individual qualified to:

(1) determine eligibility; and

(2) issue relief sufficient to meet the township assistance needs of the township.

(c) To meet the requirements of subsection (b), the township trustee shall do the following:

(1) Provide township assistance office hours for at least fourteen (14) hours per week.

(2) Provide that there is not more than one (1) weekday between the days the township assistance office is open.

(3) Provide for after hours access to the township assistance office by use of an answering machine or a service:

(A) capable of taking messages; and

(B) programmed to provide information about township assistance office hours.

(4) Respond to a telephone inquiry for township assistance services not more than twenty-four (24) hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receiving the inquiry.

(5) Post township assistance office hours and telephone numbers at the entrance to each township assistance office.

As added by P.L.51-1996, SEC.20. Amended by P.L.73-2005, SEC.27.