BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 191
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 191 (Bocanegra)
As Amended June 27, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |54-23|(May 29, 2013) |SENATE: |28-10|(September 9, |
| | | | | |2013) |
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Original Committee Reference: HUM. S.
SUMMARY : Requires the California Department of Social Services
(DSS), to the extent permitted by federal law, to design and
implement a program of categorical eligibility for CalFresh, as
specified, for any categorically eligible household that
includes a member who receives, or is eligible to receive,
assistance under the Medi-Cal program.
The Senate amendments :
1)Delete the explicit requirement for DSS to raise the maximum
gross income limit allowed in the CalFresh program for
purposes of determining eligibility.
2)Delete all provisions related to the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the CalFresh program, through which federal
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are
administered and provided to eligible participants.
2)Establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility
to Kids (CalWORKs) program, through which counties provide
cash assistance and support services to eligible low-income
families and individuals.
3)Deems needy households categorically eligibility for CalFresh
provided that the household meets all federal SNAP eligibility
requirements that would make all members of the household
eligible for CalWORKs or other cash aid programs such as
General Assistance or General Relief.
AB 191
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4)Provides that households with an elderly or disabled member or
where all members receive cash aid must only meet a net income
determination test, whereas households without an elderly or
disabled member must meet both gross and net income
eligibility determination tests.
5)Provides that any child who is eligible for federal SNAP
benefits is automatically certified to receive free school
meals without an additional application (7 United States Code
Section 2020(u)(2)(A)).
6)Provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State
Department of Health Care Services, under which medical
benefits are provided to recipients of public assistance and
other eligible low-income persons.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)For existing Medi-Cal recipients currently eligible but not
participating in CalFresh, and those newly eligible under the
bill, potential annual costs of $12.2 million (General Fund)
for CalFresh administration and California Food Assistance
Program (CFAP) benefits and administration. Increased federal
funding in the range of $375 million in CalFresh benefits,
generating $6.7 million (General Fund) through increased sales
tax revenue.
2)For every 5% of the 600,000 to 700,000 individuals potentially
eligible for CalFresh/CFAP (assuming 30% to 35% of the 2
million newly eligible Medi-Cal recipients under federal
health care reform (ACA) effective January 1, 2014, would be
eligible), annual costs of $3 million to $3.5 million (General
Fund) for state benefits and administration. Increased
federal funding in the range of $50 million to $60 million in
CalFresh benefits, generating $0.9 million to $1.1 million in
increased sales tax revenue.
3)For every 100,000 newly eligible children directly certified
for free school meals under the National School Lunch Program
(SLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), increased federal
funding of $75 million could be received and state
reimbursement of $8 million (General Fund) would be required.
AB 191
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COMMENTS : CalFresh benefits, which are entirely funded by the
federal government through the SNAP, are made available on a
monthly basis for food purchase through an ATM-like electronic
benefits transfer (EBT) card. The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) sets specific eligibility requirements for
SNAP programs across the United States, including a gross and
net income asset test, work requirements, and other
documentation requirements. The maximum allowable gross income
is 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Households with
elderly or disabled members are not subject to gross income
criteria but must have a net monthly income at or below 100% of
the FPL. Other households must meet both gross and net monthly
income tests. Additionally, resources, such as cash on hand,
generally cannot exceed $2,000, or $3,250 for households in
which there is a household member who has a disability or is 60
years of age or older. CalFresh is administered locally by
county welfare departments, and the federal, state, and county
governments share in the cost of administration of the program.
The monthly average CalFresh benefit per household is $334 ($153
per person), benefitting nearly 1.9 million households in
California.
The average monthly enrollment for Medi-Cal is 7.5 million
Californians. According to California Food Policy Advocates
(CFPA), of the 2.5 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are
currently eligible for CalFresh, only 1.3 million actually
participate in the program.
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|Categorical eligibility: Longstanding federal regulations |
|established CalFresh categorical eligibility based on receipt of |
|cash aid under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) |
|block grant, administered in California as CalWORKs. In 1999, |
|the USDA issued guidance that broadened that option under the |
|1996 welfare reform law, expanding the option under categorical |
|eligibility to include receipt of, or eligibility for, services |
|as well as cash (7 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Section |
|273.2(j)(2)). Additionally, children in families that are |
|eligible for CalFresh benefits are automatically certified to |
|receive free and reduced meals at school. Nationwide, 43 other |
|states have implemented some form of broad-based categorical |
|eligibility. Twenty-seven other states have increased access to |
|SNAP benefits by removing the asset test and raising the gross |
AB 191
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|income limit. |
| |
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Recent legislation removed some barriers to CalFresh by, for
example, changing from quarterly to semi-annual reporting, and
eliminating finger imaging requirements (AB 6 (Fuentes), Chapter
501, Statutes of 2011). Still, while statewide and local
efforts have been instrumental in increasing CalFresh
participation rates through outreach and education, barriers to
access-both real and perceived-still exist and contribute to
California's historically low participation rate.
Based on recent data from the Department of Social Services,
over four million Californians receive CalFresh benefits.
However, it has been determined by the USDA that nearly twice as
many Californians meet the federal SNAP eligibility
requirements, but are not participating in CalFresh.
Need for this bill : According to the author, "Although
nutrition is a critical component of health and wellbeing, many
Medi-Cal recipients who are currently eligible for CalFresh do
not participate. To ensure that low-income households can
support healthy living, nutrition assistance should be offered
hand-in-hand with Medi-Cal. Only half of eligible Californians
participate in CalFresh, in part because of stigma, a burdensome
application, or misinformation regarding eligibility. As
Californians struggle to make ends meet, it is critical that
they receive nutrition assistance."
Analysis Prepared by : Myesha Jackson / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
FN:
0002214