(a) The department shall administer or supervise all county departments of the state as provided in Chapter 3 of this title.

(b) The department shall:

(1) Administer or supervise:

(A) All categories of public assistance established under Code Section 49-4-3;

(B) The operation of state charitable and eleemosynary institutions;

(C) Agencies and institutions caring for dependent or mentally or physically disabled or aged adults; and

(D) Such other welfare activities or services as may be vested in it;

(2) Cooperate in the supervision of all correctional activities, including the operation of all the penal and correctional institutions of the state, together with parole, supervising of probation services, segregation of first offenders, and the inspection of local jails;

(3) Provide services to county governments, including the organization and supervision of county departments for the effective administration of welfare functions and the compilation of statistics and necessary information relative to public welfare problems throughout the state;

(4) Prescribe qualifications and salary standards for welfare personnel in state and county departments, subject to Chapter 20 of Title 45;

(5) Assist other state and federal departments, agencies, and institutions, when so requested, by performing services in conformity with the purposes of this title;

(6) Act as the agent of the federal government in welfare matters of mutual concern in conformity with this title and the administration of any federal funds granted to the state to aid in the furtherance of any functions of the department;

(7) Under rules and regulations prescribed by the board, designate county and district departments to serve as agents in the performance of all state welfare activities in the counties or districts;

(8) Have the right to designate private institutions as state institutions; to contract with such private institutions for such activities, in carrying out this title, as the department may deem necessary from time to time; and to exercise such supervision and cooperation in the operation of such designated private institutions as the department may deem necessary;

(9) Have the right to accept and execute gifts or donations for welfare purposes, as may be prescribed by the donors thereof; (10) Have authority to delegate in whole or in part the operation of any institution or other activity of the department to any other appropriate department or agency of the state, county, or municipal governments; and to contract with and cooperate with such departments or subdivisions in any manner proper for carrying out the purposes of this title;

(11) Make provision for meeting the cost of hospital care of persons eligible for public assistance to the extent that federal matching funds are available for such expenditures for hospital care. To accomplish this purpose, the department is authorized to pay from funds appropriated for the purposes of this title the amount required under this paragraph into a trust fund account which shall be available for disbursement for the cost of hospital care of public assistance recipients. The commissioner, subject to the approval of the Office of Planning and Budget, on the basis of the funds appropriated in any year, shall estimate the scope of hospital care available to public assistance recipients and the approximate per capita cost of such care. Monthly payments into the trust fund for hospital care shall be made on behalf of each public assistance recipient and such payments shall be deemed encumbered for assistance payable. Ledger accounts reflecting payments into and out of the hospital care fund shall be maintained for each of the categories of public assistance established under Code Section 49-4-3. The balance of state funds in such trust fund for the payment of hospital costs in an amount not to exceed the amount of federal funds held in the trust fund by the department available for expenditure under this paragraph shall be deemed encumbered and held in trust for the payment of the costs of hospital care and shall be rebudgeted for this purpose on each quarterly budget required under the laws governing the expenditure of state funds. The state auditor shall audit the funds in the trust fund established under this paragraph in the same manner that any other funds disbursed by the department are audited; and

(12) Administer such programs and provide such services as may be appropriate and necessary to strengthen family life and help needy individuals attain the maximum economic and personal independence of which they are capable, including services to applicants and recipients of old-age assistance to help them attain self-care, provided that the costs incurred by the county departments in administering this Code section in conjunction with the public assistance programs administered by the department shall be deemed to be administrative expenses.