Bureau
of Investigations
Office of Administrative
Hearings
The
Office of Administrative Hearings is charged with the task of conducting
State Fair Hearings and Administrative Disqualification Hearings. This
Office provides an applicant or recipient an opportunity to appeal agency
action or failure to act, and to have his/her eligibility reviewed by
someone not involved in the original decision.
Administrative Disqualification Hearings are initiated
by the Agency and Fair Hearings are initiated by the applicant
or recipient in connection with the food stamp program or the TANF program. Both types of hearings provide an opportunity
for a more formal review by a state hearing officer of the point(s)
surrounding program participation.
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Office of Investigative
Audit
The
Office of Investigative Audit has the responsibility of reviewing, auditing,
and investigating allegations of fraud and/or other misappropriations
of federal and state funds upon referrals and/or as directed by the
Executive Director. This office also performs internal audits of MDHS programs.This Office presents its findings relevant to alleged
criminal/civil violations to the courts, district attorneys and/or other
authorities as may be appropriate pursuant to law.
Office of Fraud
Investigations
The
Office of Fraud Investigations is charged with the detection, investigation,
and verification of alleged fraud and/or abuse in the public assistance
programs administered by the Department of Human Services. It notifies
and forwards information relevant to possible criminal violations and/or
prosecutions to the appropriate authorities such as district attorneys,
city prosecutors, and county attorneys.
Pursuant to a legislative mandate, this Office established a statewide
fraud hotline on October 1, 1994. The information received from the
hotline is disseminated to investigators to determine the validity of
the accusations and the appropriate action to be taken. The fraud hotline
number is 1-800-299-6905.
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Office of Special Investigations
The
Office of Special Investigations is charged with internal investigations, such as employee misconduct. This office also investigates clients and retailers suspected of food stamp trafficking. It notifies and forwards information relevant to possible criminal violations to appropriate law enforcement authorities for prosecution.
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