BILL NUMBER: SB 1534	CHAPTERED  09/30/06

	CHAPTER  801
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 30, 2006
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 30, 2006
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 31, 2006
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 30, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 24, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 7, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 29, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 17, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Ortiz and Alarcon
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Coto)

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2006

   An act to add Part 5.8 (commencing with Section 17850) to Division
9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public benefits.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1534, Ortiz  Public benefits.
   Federal law, Section 411 of the federal Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), provides
that certain persons are not eligible for defined state and local
public benefits unless a state law is enacted subsequent to the
effective date of the act, August 22, 1996, that affirmatively
provides for that eligibility.
   Existing law establishes programs to provide aid or health care,
or a combination thereof, to persons who meet eligibility
requirements.
   Existing law requires each county or city and county to provide
aid to its indigent population not supported by other means, and
those county programs are commonly referred to as general assistance
programs.
   This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to affirm
the ability of counties, cities, and hospital districts, at their own
discretion, to provide health care and other services to all
residents. The bill would authorize any city, county, city and
county, or hospital district to provide aid, including health care,
to persons who, but for the above-referred to provision of the
federal PRWORA, would meet the eligibility requirements for any
program of that entity.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Part 5.8 (commencing with Section 17850) is added to
Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

      PART 5.8.  PUBLIC BENEFITS

   17850.  It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this part
to affirm the ability of counties, cities, and hospital districts to
provide health care and other services to all residents, if any of
these entities has decided to do so at its own discretion.
   17851.  A city, county, city and county, or hospital district may,
at its discretion, provide aid, including health care, to persons
who, but for Section 411 of the federal Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193; 8 U.S.C.
Sec. 1621), would meet eligibility requirements for any program of
that entity.