BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 433| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 CONTINUED AB 433 Page 2 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 AB 433 Page 3 130 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, AB 433 Page 4 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 **** END ****