§ 101. Liability of relatives to support. 1. Except as otherwise
provided by law, the spouse or parent of a recipient of public
assistance or care or of a person liable to become in need thereof
shall, if of sufficient ability, be responsible for the support of such
person, provided that a parent shall be responsible only for the support
of a child under the age of twenty-one years. Step-parents shall in
like manner be responsible for the support of step-children under the
age of twenty-one years. Nothing herein shall impose any liability upon
a person to support the adopted child of his or her spouse if such child
was adopted after the adopting spouse is living separate and apart from
the non-adopting spouse pursuant to a legally recognizable separation
agreement or decree under the domestic relations law. Such liability
shall not be imposed for so long as the spouses remain separate and
apart after the adoption.

2. The liability imposed by this section shall be for the benefit of
the public welfare district concerned or any legally incorporated
non-profit institution which receives payments from any governmental
agency for the care of medically indigent persons, and such liability
may be enforced by appropriate proceedings and actions in a court of
competent jurisdiction. Such proceedings and actions may be brought by
such an institution in any court wherein a similar proceeding or action
could be brought by a public welfare official.

3. The expiration of any period of time for the payment of maintenance
by a court in a matrimonial action shall not be a bar to the enforcement
of the liability imposed by this section.