BILL NUMBER: AB 1930 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Skinner
FEBRUARY 19, 2014
An act to add Section 18901.11 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
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 county welfare departments,
human services agencies 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 rule using a specified protocol . The
bill would also require that students who
participate in the EOPS program be considered exempt from the student
work requirement as specified, unless prohibited by federal law.
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. 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:
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to increase college
graduation rates of low-income Californians and to reduce the
incidence of economic hardship and hunger among low-income college
students.
SEC. 2. Section 18901.11 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
18901.11. (a) In determining the eligibility and benefit level of
a student subject to the student work requirement described in
subdivision (a) of Section 273.5 of Subpart C of Part 273 of Title 7
of the Code of Federal Regulations, county welfare
departments human services agencies shall screen
for all potential exemptions to the requirement using the
protocol established in subdivision (c) .
(b) Students participating in the Community College Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services established pursuant to Article 8
(commencing with Section 69640) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5
of Title 3 of the Education Code shall be considered exempt from the
student work requirement pursuant to subparagraph (ii) of paragraph
(11) of subdivision (b) of Section 273.5 of, and paragraph (1) of
subdivision (e) of Section 273.7 of, Subpart C of Part 273 of Title 7
of the Code of Federal Regulations, unless prohibited by federal
law.
(c) The department shall, in consultation with the office of the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, county human
services agencies, and advocates for students and clients, establish
a protocol to screen for all potential exemptions to the requirement
described in subdivision (a) of Section 273.5 of Subpart C of Part
273 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and to identify
and verify participation in the Community College Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services or other educational programs that
would exempt a student from the student work requirement.
(d) This section shall not require a county human services agency
to offer a particular component, support services, or worker's
compensation to a student found eligible for an exemption pursuant to
subdivision (a).
(e) This section shall not restrict or require the use of federal
funds for the financing of CalFresh E&T programs.
SEC. 3. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.