BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 433|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 433
          Author:   Beall (D), et al
          Amended:  8/11/08 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE  :  3-2, 6/26/07
          AYES:  Alquist, Romero, Yee
          NOES:  Harman, Cogdill

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  47-32, 6/5/07 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Food Stamp Program:  categorical eligibility

           SOURCE  :     California Food Policy Advocates


           DIGEST  :    This bill requires the Department of Social  
          Services to propose a new name for the food stamp program  
          and to adopt the federal option to establish categorical  
          eligibility for food stamp benefits for those who are under  
          130 percent of the federal poverty level regardless of the  
          level of their assets.

           Senate Floor Amendments  of 8/11/08 (1) extend until July  
          2009, the deadline for the Department of Social Services  
          (DSS) to change the name of the food stamp program, (2)  
          eliminate any reference to the Medi-Cal program when  
          establishing categorical eligibility for food stamps, (3)  
          change the categorical eligibility for food stamps to  
          include those eligible for the food assistance program  
          established in Section 18930 et seq. of the Welfare and  
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          Institutions Code, (4) allow the DSS to promulgate  
          emergency regulations to implement these changes, and (5)  
          direct the DSS to adopt final regulations for the program  
          by July 1, 2010.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing federal law:

          1. Establishes the food stamp program, administered by  
             state and local agencies to provide federally funded  
             food assistance benefits to eligible households.

          2. Establishes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families  
             (TANF) block grant, to distribute federal funds to  
             states to assist low-income families for specified  
             purposes, including the care of children in their own  
             homes and the end of dependency of needy parents on  
             government benefits through job preparation, work and  
             marriage.

          3. Requires states to contribute designated amounts of  
             funds, known as Maintenance of Effort (MOE), as a  
             condition of receiving their full allocation of federal  
             TANF funds.

          4. Provides an option for all households and individuals  
             under 130 percent of the federal poverty level to  
             receive food stamp benefits.

          Existing state law requires the DSS to establish a program  
          of categorical eligibility for food stamps for persons  
          receiving county general relief cash aid.

          This bill:

          1. Requires DSS in consultation with a diverse group of  
             stakeholders to propose a new name for the food stamp  
             program by July 1, 2009, reflecting one or more  
             specified concepts including the fact that food stamps  
             are no longer delivered by stamps.

          2. Requires DSS to establish a program of categorical  
             eligibility for food stamp benefits for persons under  







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             130 percent of the federal poverty level.

          3. Provides that DSS shall implement the categorical  
             eligibility program only with appropriate federal  
             authorization without loss of federal financial  
             participation, shall be established no later than July  
             1, 2009, and shall be fully implemented as to new  
             applicants as of January 1, 2010.

          4. Requires that after January 1, 2009, counties make  
             reasonable efforts to review existing Medi-Cal cases to  
             identify individuals who could benefit from the program  
             of categorical eligibility.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  Yes

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/11/08)

          California Food Policy Advocates (source)
          American Federation of State, County and Municipal  
          Employees
          California Catholic Conference
          California Commission on the Status of Women
          California Retailers Association
          City and County of San Francisco
          Jericho
          Western Center on Law and Poverty

           OPPOSITION  :    (Verified  8/11/08)

          Department of Finance


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Arambula, Bass, Beall, Berg, Brownley, Caballero,  
            Charles Calderon, Carter, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De  
            Leon, DeSaulnier, Dymally, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes,  
            Galgiani, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Huffman, Jones,  
            Karnette, Krekorian, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Lieu,  
            Ma, Mendoza, Mullin, Nava, Parra, Portantino, Price,  
            Richardson, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Solorio, Swanson,  
            Torrico, Wolk, Nunez
          NOES:  Adams, Aghazarian, Anderson, Benoit, Berryhill,  







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            Blakeslee, Cook, DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Fuller,  
            Gaines, Garcia, Garrick, Horton, Houston, Huff, Jeffries,  
            Keene, La Malfa, Maze, Nakanishi, Niello, Plescia, Sharon  
            Runner, Silva, Smyth, Spitzer, Strickland, Tran,  
            Villines, Walters
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Soto


          CTW/GFC:mw  8/12/08   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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