Michigan § 400.76 - Liability of relatives for support; action for reimbursement of county granting aid; duties of prosecuting attorney; reciprocal enforcement.

This act shall not be construed to relieve the liability for support by relatives under the provisions of chapter 1 of Act No. 146 of the Public Acts of 1925, as amended, being sections 401.1 to 401.21 of the Compiled Laws of 1948, but shall be construed as superseding the definition of settlement contained in section 1 of chapter 1. The terms of chapter 1 with respect to liability for support by relatives may be invoked in connection with any form of public aid or relief administered under this act.

The social welfare board of the county of legal settlement of a recipient of any form of aid granted under this act, or a social welfare board granting aid, may maintain an action in the circuit court for the county the board represents, or the circuit court for the county in which the defendant resides or is found: (a) Against the county, township or city neglecting or refusing to allow and pay a bill owing under this act and presented more than 90 days prior to the commencement of the action; or (b) Against a recipient of emergency hospitalization or his relatives who are neglecting or refusing to acknowledge responsibility for reimbursement of the county for the costs of the emergency hospitalization; or (c) Against a recipient of hospitalization or his relatives legally liable for his support to enforce its agreement with the recipient or relatives for reimbursement of the county for hospitalization expenses.

The prosecuting attorney shall represent the county social welfare board in such actions, service or process of courts of like jurisdiction in any county in this state, and such service and return thereof in accordance with law shall give the court in which the action is commenced full jurisdiction to hear and determine the cause. If any legally responsible relative of a poor person receiving or having received any form of public welfare support in this state lives or can be found in some other state which has enacted a uniform reciprocal enforcement of support law, suitable action may be initiated in Michigan by the prosecuting attorney against the legally responsible relative under the provisions of Act No. 8 of the Public Acts of 1952, as amended, being sections 780.151 to 780.172 of the Compiled Laws of 1948.