Amended in Assembly May 6, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 21, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1930


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 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 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 withbegin delete othersend deletebegin insert representatives from other specified organizationsend insert, to establish a protocol to screen for all potential exemptions to the rule and to identify and verify participation in the EOPS programbegin delete orend deletebegin insert, criteria for self-initiated placement, andend insert other educational programs that would exempt a student from thebegin insert student workend insert 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:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

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.

5

SEC. 2.  

Section 18901.11 is added to the Welfare and
6Institutions Code
, to read:

7

18901.11.  

(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
P3    17 of the Code of Federal Regulations, county human services
2agencies shall screen for all potential exemptions to the requirement
3using the protocol established in subdivision (c).

4(b) Students participating in the Community College Extended
5Opportunity Programs and Services established pursuant to Article
68 (commencing with Section 69640) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of
7Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code shall be considered
8exempt from the student work requirement pursuant to
9begin delete subparagraph (ii) ofend delete paragraph (11) of subdivision (b) of Section
10273.5 of, and paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 273.7 of,
11 Subpart C of Part 273 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
12unless prohibited by federal law.

13(c) The department shall, in consultation withbegin insert representatives
14ofend insert
the office of the Chancellor of the California Community
15Colleges,begin insert offices of the Chancellor of the California State
16University, University of California Chancellors’ offices, the
17California Workforce Investment Board,end insert
county human services
18agencies, and advocates for students and clients, establish a
19protocol to screen for all potential exemptions to the requirement
20described in subdivision (a) of Section 273.5 of Subpart C of Part
21273 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and to identify
22and verify participation in the Community College Extended
23Opportunity Programs and Servicesbegin delete orend deletebegin insert, criteria for self-initiated
24placement, andend insert
other educational programs that would exempt a
25student from the student work requirement.

26(d) This section shall not require a county human services
27agency to offer a particular component, support services, or
28worker’s compensation to a student found eligible for an exemption
29pursuant to subdivision (a).

30(e) This section shall not restrict or require the use of federal
31funds for the financing of CalFresh E&T programs.

32

SEC. 3.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
33this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
34local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
35pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
364 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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