Legislative Changes in Public Assistance, 1945

DURING 1 9 4 5 , legislative sessions were he ld in all S t a t e s except Mississippi. Lou i s iana a n d Virg in ia h a d special sessions res t r i c ted t o subjec ts o the r t h a n publ ic ass i s tance . T h e r e m a i n ing S t a t e s ( inc lud ing t h e Dis t r i c t of Columbia , Hawai i , a n d Alaska) e n ac t ed in all a b o u t 5 0 0 laws w h i c h were p e r t i n e n t t o t h e p r o g r a m s of o ld-age ass i s tance , a id t o t h e b l ind , a n d aid t o d e p e n d e n t ch i ld ren . T h e r e was a m a r k e d t r e n d t o w a r d ex tend ing t h e p r o g r a m s to add i t iona l g roups of needy pe r sons , t h r o u g h e l imina t ion or l ibera l iza t ion of condi t ions of eligibility, a n d t o w a r d i n c reas ing t h e a m o u n t of a s s i s t ance p a y m e n t s , t h r o u g h abol ish ing or r a i s ing t h e s t a t u t o r y m a x i m u m s on p a y m e n t s . Some S t a t e s ex tended t h e i r p r o g r a m s beyond t h e coverage or po ten t i a l levels of ass i s tance p a y m e n t s for w h i c h Fede ra l m a t c h i n g would be avai lable . Two new p r o g r a m s were es tabl ished which were accepted by t h e Social Secur i ty B o a r d d u r i n g 1 9 4 5 . De la ware ' s p l a n for a id t o t h e bl ind was approved October 2 6 , a n d Alaska i n s t i t u t ed a p l a n for a id t o d e p e n d e n t ch i ldren , approved J u l y 3 1 . Alaska ' s p r o g r a m , w h i c h is admin i s t e r ed by t h e agency admin i s t e r i ng o ld -age a s s i s tance , ex t ends aid to ch i ld ren u n d e r 1 6 years of age. T h e r e a r e n o resi-