AB 1930, as amended, Skinner. CalFresh: student eligibility.
Existing federal law, the Food Stamp Act, provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh. The act allocates supplemental nutrition assistance benefits to the state to be distributed to eligible individuals by each county. The act generally requires each household member, as a condition of SNAP eligibility, to comply with specified work requirements, including participation in a Food Stamp Employment and Training (E&T) program administered by a state agency, as specified, unless an exemption applies. The act further provides that students who are enrolled in college or other institutions of higher education at least half time are not eligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet one of several exemptions, including working at least 20 hours a week or participating in specified employment training programs, including an E&T program described above.
Existing law establishes the Community College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) to encourage local community colleges to establish and implement programs directed to identifying those students affected by language, social, and economic handicaps, and to assist those students to achieve their educational objectives and goals, including, but not limited to, obtaining job skills, occupational certificates, or associate degrees, and transferring to 4-year institutions.
This bill would require countybegin delete welfare departments,end deletebegin insert human services agenciesend insert in determining the eligibility and benefit level of a student subject to the student work requirement described above, to screen for all potential exemptions
to that rulebegin insert using a specified protocolend insert. The bill wouldbegin delete alsoend delete
require that students who participate in the EOPS program be considered exempt from the student work requirement as specified, unless prohibited by federal law.begin insert The bill would also require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with others, to establish a protocol to screen for all potential exemptions to the rule and to identify and verify participation in the EOPS program or other educational programs that would exempt a student from the requirement.end insert By imposing new duties on county welfare departments, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
It is the intent of the Legislature to increase
2college graduation rates of low-income Californians and to reduce
3the incidence of economic hardship and hunger among low-income
4college students.
Section 18901.11 is added to the Welfare and
6Institutions Code, to read:
(a) In determining the eligibility and benefit level
8of a student subject to the student work requirement described in
9subdivision (a) of Section 273.5 of Subpart C of Part 273 of Title
107 of the Code of Federal Regulations, countybegin delete welfare departmentsend delete
11begin insert human services agenciesend insert shall screen for all potential exemptions
P3 1to the requirementbegin insert using the protocol established in subdivision
2(c)end insert.
3(b) Students participating in
the Community College Extended
4Opportunity Programs and Services established pursuant to Article
58 (commencing with Section 69640) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of
6Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code shall be considered
7exempt from the student work requirement pursuant to
8subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (11) of subdivision (b) of Section
9273.5 of, and paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 273.7 of,
10
Subpart C of Part 273 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
11unless prohibited by federal law.
12(c) The department shall, in consultation with the office of the
13Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, county human
14services agencies, and advocates for students and clients, establish
15a protocol to screen for all potential exemptions to the requirement
16described in subdivision (a) of Section 273.5 of Subpart C of Part
17273 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and to identify
18and verify participation in the Community College Extended
19Opportunity Programs and Services or other educational programs
20that would exempt a student from the student work requirement.
21(d) This section shall not
require a county human services
22agency to offer a particular component, support services, or
23worker’s compensation to a student found eligible for an exemption
24pursuant to subdivision (a).
25(e) This section shall not restrict or require the use of federal
26funds for the financing of CalFresh E&T programs.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
28this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
29local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
30pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
314 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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