Senate BillNo. 1147


Introduced by Senator DeSaulnier

February 20, 2014


An act to add Section 18920 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalFresh.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1147, as introduced, DeSaulnier. CalFresh: customer service standards: performance goals.

Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh, formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish and maintain a plan, known as the County Administrative Cost Control Plan, whereby costs for county administration of CalFresh are effectively controlled within the amounts annually appropriated for that administration, and whereby standards and performance criteria are established and are required to be adhered to by counties.

This bill would require the department, in collaboration with key stakeholders, to establish statewide customer service standards and performance goals with regard to CalFresh, revise and measure the progress made toward the execution of the standards and goals on an annual basis, and make the standards and goals publicly available for the purpose of informing the Legislature and public. The bill would also require the department to develop a dynamic data management tool that includes specified data, including, but not limited to, data regarding CalFresh applications received through multiple channels. This bill would require data from the data management tool to be made publicly available on an ongoing basis and updated at least on a quarterly basis within 30 days following the end of each quarter, and authorizes the department to use the data from the tool to measure the progress made towards the standards and goals established pursuant to these provisions. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) Hunger and food insecurity continue to be a struggle faced
4by too many Californians. In 2011 and 2012, at least four million
5low-income adults in California experienced food insecurity.

6(b) Reduced hunger and improved access to nutritious foods
7are fundamental goals of CalFresh, the state’s Supplemental
8Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through which low-income
9Californians receive federally funded nutrition benefits.

10(c) Low CalFresh participation results in less nutrition assistance
11for eligible individuals, less economic activity, and less sales tax
12revenue for the state and local governments.

13(d) California continues to struggle with low CalFresh
14participation. In the 2009-10 fiscal year, just over half of eligible
15CalFresh households participated in the program.

16(e) The state and counties have made significant fiscal and policy
17investments in CalFresh and in the food security, health, and
18well-being of participants.

19(f) A number of other states have taken action to improve their
20SNAP performance and customer service by making data-driven
21policy decisions and setting statewide service expectations.

22(g) Other California public benefit programs and entities,
23including Medi-Cal and the California Health Benefit Exchange,
24have increased data transparency and established standards and
25 goals.

26(h) It is the intent of the Legislature, in an effort to improve
27CalFresh participation and access, to establish statewide CalFresh
28customer service standards and performance goals and to
29periodically monitor progress toward meeting those goals.

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SEC. 2.  

Section 18920 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
2Code
, to read:

3

18920.  

(a) The department, in collaboration with key
4stakeholders, shall establish statewide customer service standards
5and performance goals with regard to CalFresh. The department
6shall revise and measure the progress made toward the execution
7of the standards and goals on an annual basis and shall make the
8standards and goals publicly available for the purpose of informing
9the Legislature and public. The department may use the data made
10available in the dynamic data management tool developed pursuant
11to subdivision (b) to measure the progress made toward achieving
12the established standards and goals.

13(b) (1) The department shall, in collaboration with key
14stakeholders, develop a dynamic data management tool. If feasible
15and appropriate, the department may expand upon existing
16technology for this purpose. The data management tool shall
17include data presented on a statewide and county-by-county basis
18to be derived by the department from the Medi-Cal Eligibility Data
19System (MEDS), the Statewide Automated Welfare System, or
20any other appropriate information management systems. The data
21management tool shall include, but not be limited to, all of the
22following:

23(A) Data regarding multiprogram enrollment, which may
24include, but is not limited to, dual eligibility and dual participation
25among CalFresh and Medi-Cal recipients.

26(B) Data regarding CalFresh applications received through
27multiple channels, including, but not limited to, in-person, online,
28and by phone.

29(C) Data regarding CalFresh application and recertification
30outcomes, which may include, but is not limited to, disposition
31and processing times.

32(D) Data regarding CalFresh reapplication, which may include,
33but is not limited to, rate of return within 30, 60, and 90 days.

34(2) Data from the data management tool shall be made publicly
35available on an ongoing basis and updated at least on a quarterly
36basis within 30 days following the end of each quarter, for the
37purpose of informing the Legislature and the public about CalFresh
38enrollment, benefit retention, customer service, and performance.

39(3) The department shall, in collaboration with key stakeholders,
40identify necessary revisions to the data management tool as
P4    1necessary to fulfill the standards and goals established pursuant
2to subdivision (a).



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