1. In addition to the powers, duties and functions vested in the family support division by other provisions of this chapter or by other laws of this state, the family support division shall have the power:

(1) To sue and be sued;

(2) To make contracts and carry out the duties imposed upon it by this or any other law;

(3) To administer, disburse, dispose of and account for funds, commodities, equipment, supplies or services, and any kind of property given, granted, loaned, advanced to or appropriated by the state of Missouri for any of the purposes herein;

(4) To administer oaths, issue subpoenas for witnesses, examine such witnesses under oath, and make and keep a record of same;

(5) To adopt, amend and repeal rules and regulations necessary or desirable to carry out the provisions of this chapter and which are not inconsistent with the constitution or laws of this state;

(6) To cooperate with the United States government in matters of mutual concern pertaining to any duties wherein the family support division is acting as a state agency, including the adoption of such methods of administration as are found by the United States government to be necessary for the efficient operation of state plans hereunder;

(7) To make such reports in such form and containing such information as the United States government may, from time to time, require, and comply with such provisions as the United States government may, from time to time, find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports;

(8) To appoint, when and if it may deem necessary, advisory committees to provide professional or technical consultation in respect to welfare problems and welfare administration. The members of such advisory committees shall receive no compensation for their services other than expenses actually incurred in the performance of their official duties. The number of members of each such advisory committee shall be determined by the family support division and such advisory committees shall consult with and advise the family support division in respect to problems and policies incident to the administration of the particular function germane to the respective field of competence;

(9) To initiate or cooperate with other agencies in developing measures for the prevention of dependency and the rehabilitation of needy persons;

(10) To collect statistics, make special fact-finding studies and publish reports in reference to public welfare;

(11) To establish or cooperate in research or demonstration projects relative to the welfare program, such as those relating to the prevention and reduction of dependency and economic distress, or which will aid in effecting coordination of planning between private and public welfare agencies, or which will help improve the administration and effectiveness of programs carried on or assisted under the federal Social Security Act and the programs related thereto;

(12) To provide appropriate public welfare services to promote, safeguard and protect the social well-being and general welfare of children and to help maintain and strengthen family life, and to provide such public welfare services to aid needy persons who can be so helped to become self-supporting or capable of self-care;

(13) To accept gifts and grants of any property, real or personal, and to sell said property and expend such gifts or grants not inconsistent with the administration of this chapter and within the limitations imposed by the donor thereof;

(14) To make periodic surveys of cost-of-living factors in relation to the needs of recipients of public assistance, and establish standards or budgetary guides for determining minimum costs of meeting such requirements, and amend such standards from time to time as circumstances may require;

(15) To accept gifts and grants of any property, real or personal, and to sell said property and expend such gifts or grants not inconsistent with the administration of this chapter and within the limitations imposed by the donor thereof.

2. All powers and duties of the family support division shall, so far as applicable, apply to the administration of any other law or state law wherein duties are imposed upon the family support division acting as a state agency.