Sec. 24. ACTIONS FOR FUNDS MISAPPLIED. (a) The board may recover by civil action from any offending party or from the party's bondsman, if any, any money paid out or obtained from the fund through fraud, misrepresentation, theft, embezzlement, or misapplication and may institute, conduct, and maintain the action in the name of the board for the use and benefit of the fund.

(b) Payments due on behalf of a dependent child shall be paid to the dependent child's guardian, if any, or if none to the person with whom the dependent child is living, except that the board may make payments directly to a dependent child in an appropriate case and withhold payments otherwise due on behalf of any person if the board has reason to believe the payments are not being applied on behalf of the person eligible to receive them. The board may request a court of competent jurisdiction to appoint a person to receive and administer the payments due to any dependent child or person under a disability.