BILL ANALYSIS Ó
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 134|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 134
Author: Hueso (D)
Amended: 8/5/13
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 6-0, 4/23/13
AYES: Yee, Berryhill, Emmerson, Evans, Liu, Wright
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/6/13
AYES: De León, Walters, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
SENATE FLOOR : 39-0, 5/29/13
AYES: Anderson, Beall, Berryhill, Block, Calderon, Cannella,
Corbett, Correa, De León, DeSaulnier, Emmerson, Evans, Fuller,
Gaines, Galgiani, Hancock, Hernandez, Hill, Hueso, Huff,
Jackson, Knight, Lara, Leno, Lieu, Liu, Monning, Nielsen,
Padilla, Pavley, Price, Roth, Steinberg, Torres, Walters,
Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 8/8/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : CalFresh eligibility
SOURCE : MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
DIGEST : This bill requires participating counties to exempt
from the CalFresh Employment and Training (CalFresh E&T) program
a veteran who has been honorably discharged from the United
States Armed Forces. This bill requires, in a county that
CONTINUED
SB 134
Page
2
elects to participate in the program, that a veteran applying
for CalFresh benefits who is required to register to work, but
who is exempt from placement in the CalFresh E&T program, be
provided with a referral to the local county veterans service
office and to local veterans' assistance and job training
agencies if known to the county, and given the opportunity to
participate as a volunteer in the CalFresh E&T program.
Assembly Amendments specify that in a county that elects to
participate in the CalFresh E&T program, a veteran applying for
CalFresh benefits who is required to register to work, but who
is exempt from mandatory placement in the CalFresh E&T program
is required to be given the opportunity to participate as a
volunteer in the CalFresh E&T program, and to be provided with a
referral to the local county veterans service office and a
referral to veterans' assistance and job training agencies, only
if those veterans' assistance and job training agencies are
known to the county.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Establishes under federal law the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) pursuant to the Food Stamp Act of
1964.
2. Establishes in California statute the CalFresh program to
administer the provision of federal SNAP benefits to families
and individuals meeting specified criteria.
3. Establishes in federal law income eligibility standards that
define participants as those whose incomes are determined to
be a substantial limiting factor in permitting them to obtain
a more nutritious diet, as specified. Permits some forms of
assistance to be excluded from the calculation of income for
the purposes of eligibility for SNAP.
4. Prohibits the exclusion of third-party payments to a
household for the purpose of income calculation.
5. Requires the Department of Social Services to apply for
federal waivers to implement various exemptions to federal
SNAP requirements, as specified.
CONTINUED
SB 134
Page
3
6. Establishes in California law the CalFresh E&T program,
pursuant to federal law, which requires participating
counties to screen CalFresh applicants to determine whether
they will participate in a work training program, as
specified.
7. Permits counties to defer from placing participants in the
CalFresh E&T program who reside in a federally determined
work surplus area.
This bill
1. Establishes legislative intent to limit barriers to food
assistance for low-income veterans and their families, to
increase referrals to veteran-oriented job training programs,
and to work with the federal government to remove barriers to
food assistance for military families.
2. Adds to the exemptions for CalFresh E&T, a veteran who has
been honorably discharged from the United States Armed
Forces.
3. Requires, in a county that elects to participate in the
CalFresh E&T program, a veteran applying for CalFresh
benefits who is required to register to work, but who is
exempt from mandatory placement in the CalFresh E&T program,
as defined, be given the opportunity to participate as a
volunteer in the CalFresh E&T program, and provided with a
referral to the local county veterans service office and a
referral to veterans' assistance and job training agencies,
if those veterans' assistance and job training agencies are
known to the county.
Background
SNAP and CalFresh . Approximately 1.8 million households, or
nearly four million low-income Californians, receive CalFresh
benefits. CalFresh benefits are 100% funded by the federal SNAP
program, although administrative costs are shared by the federal
government, state and counties. In 2011, the average benefit
amount received per household was about $315 per month per
family, and the average recipient family size was 2.3 people.
More than one in five recipients received income from job
CONTINUED
SB 134
Page
4
earnings.
Income eligibility . To qualify for CalFresh benefits, a
recipient must meet both gross and net income eligibility.
Gross income includes all income from any source including
earned income and all unearned income, as defined in federal
code (with specified exemptions discussed below). The maximum
gross income that is allowed is 130% of the federal poverty
level or 165% of the federal poverty level if the household has
an elderly or disabled person.
Military Housing Allowances and Basic Sustenance . California
had 117,806 active duty service members in 2009, according to US
Census Data information. Active service members can either
receive housing and food on base, or, if housing is not
available, they can receive a stipend from the U.S. military to
pay for off-base housing. This is more common among active
military members with families. The Basic Allowance for Housing
is calculated either for single military members, or for those
with dependents, regardless of the number of dependents.
Housing allowance is determined by ZIP code.
CalFresh E&T . To qualify for CalFresh benefits, households must
meet income tests, and some households must meet specified work
requirements. SNAP requires all recipients, unless exempted by
law, to register for work at the appropriate employment office,
participate in an employment and training program if assigned by
a state or local administering agency, and accept an offer of
suitable employment. CalFresh E&T is a voluntary program for
counties, but should a county choose to implement the program,
those participants who are deemed eligible must participate in
order to receive CalFresh benefits.
Prior legislation
SB 43 (Liu, Chapter 507, Statutes of 2011) requires counties
that elect to participate in the CalFresh E&T program to screen
participants for participation or deferral.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
CONTINUED
SB 134
Page
5
CalFresh E&T Exemption
Ongoing, non-reimbursable county administrative costs (Local)
to screen all CalFresh applicants for veteran status and
provide a referral to local veterans' assistance and job
training agencies, as specified.
Potential future substantial increase in CalFresh benefits
(Federal) and administration costs (Federal/General/County) in
participating CalFresh E&T counties due to the exemption from
mandatory placement in CalFresh E&T for both active military
personnel and honorably discharged veterans. For every 5,000
persons who would otherwise have been sanctioned for six
months if not for the exemption, increased CalFresh benefits
of $8.9 million (Federal), administration of $0.8 million
($0.4 million General Fund), and economic benefit of $150,000
(General Fund).
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/13/13)
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger (source)
American Red Cross WIC Program
California Association of Food Banks
Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
Service Employees International Union
Western Center on Law and Poverty
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 8/8/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian
Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dahle, Daly,
Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines,
Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Grove,
Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones-Sawyer,
Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor,
Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi,
Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel
Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone,
Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams,
Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Chávez, Jones, Vacancy, Vacancy
CONTINUED
SB 134
Page
6
JL:d 8/13/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
CONTINUED