§ 341. Conciliation; refusal to participate. 1. (a) Consistent with\nfederal law and regulations and this title, if a participant has failed\nor refused to comply with the requirements of this title, the social\nservices district shall issue a notice in plain language indicating that\nsuch failure or refusal has taken place and of the right of such\nparticipant to conciliation to resolve the reasons for such failure or\nrefusal to avoid a pro-rata reduction in public assistance benefits for\na period of time set forth in section three hundred forty-two of this\ntitle. The notice shall indicate the specific instance or instances of\nwillful refusal or failure to comply without good cause with the\nrequirements of this title and the necessary actions that must be taken\nto avoid a pro-rata reduction in public assistance benefits. The notice\nshall indicate that the participant has seven days to request\nconciliation with the district regarding such failure or refusal in the\ncase of a safety net participant and ten days in the case of a family\nassistance participant. The notice shall also include an explanation in\nplain language of what would constitute good cause for non-compliance\nand examples of acceptable forms of evidence that may warrant an\nexemption from work activities, including evidence of domestic violence,\nand physical or mental health limitations that may be provided at the\nconciliation conference to demonstrate such good cause for failure to\ncomply with the requirements of this title. If the participant does not\ncontact the district within the specified number of days, the district\nshall issue ten days notice of intent to discontinue or reduce\nassistance, pursuant to regulations of the department. Such notice shall\nalso include a statement of the participant's right to a fair hearing\nrelating to such discontinuance or reduction. If such participant\ncontacts the district within seven days in the case of a safety net\nparticipant or within ten days in the case of a family assistance\nparticipant, it will be the responsibility of the participant to give\nreasons for such failure or refusal.\n (b) Unless the district determines as a result of such conciliation\nprocess that such failure or refusal was willful and was without good\ncause, no further action shall be taken. If the district determines that\nsuch failure or refusal was willful and without good cause, the district\nshall notify such participant in writing, in plain language and in a\nmanner distinct from any previous notice, by issuing ten days notice of\nits intent to discontinue or reduce assistance. Such notice shall\ninclude the reasons for such determination, the specific instance or\ninstances of willful refusal or failure to comply without good cause\nwith the requirements of this title, the necessary actions that must be\ntaken to avoid a pro-rata reduction in public assistance benefits, and\nthe right to a fair hearing relating to such discontinuance or\nreduction. Unless extended by mutual agreement of the participant and\nthe district, conciliation shall terminate and a determination shall be\nmade within fourteen days of the date a request for conciliation is made\nin the case of a safety net participant or within thirty days of the\nconciliation notice in the case of a family assistance participant.\n 2. (a) The department shall establish in regulation a conciliation\nprocedure for the resolution of disputes related to an individual's\nparticipation in programs pursuant to this title.\n (b) The district shall contract with an independent entity, approved\nby the department, or shall use designated trained staff at the\nsupervisory level who have no direct responsibility for the\nparticipant's case to mediate disputes in the conciliation conference.\nIf no such supervisory staff or independent entity is available, the\ndistrict may designate another trained individual, who has no direct\nresponsibility for the participant's case t
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