AB 1790, as introduced, Weber. CalWORKs: welfare-to-work.
Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families using federal, state, and county funds. Existing law requires a recipient of CalWORKs to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility. Existing law limits the time period in which a participant may engage in certain state-authorized work activities, in satisfaction of welfare-to-work requirements, to 24 cumulative months during a participant’s lifetime, and requires the participant to engage in federally defined work activities after that period expires. Existing law requires that necessary supportive services be available to every participant in order to participate in the program activity to which he or she is assigned.
This bill would require an adult recipient who meets minimum federal welfare-to-work participation requirements to be deemed to be in compliance with welfare-to-work hours requirements, as specified. The bill would require the county to arrange for the provision of necessary supportive services for these recipients, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would exempt these adults from sanctions for failure or refusal to comply with welfare-to-work program requirements. The bill would direct the department to issue an all-county letter or similar instruction on or before January 1, 2018.
Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.
This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill.
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 11322.81 is added to the Welfare and
2Institutions Code, to read:
Notwithstanding any other law, an adult recipient
4who meets the minimum federal welfare-to-work participation
5requirements set forth in Section 607 of Title 42 of the United
6States Code, shall be deemed to be in compliance with Section
711322.8. Necessary supportive services shall be provided to
8recipients described in this section in accordance with Sections
911323.2 and 11323.4. Recipients described in this section shall
10not be subject to sanctions for failure or refusal to comply with
11program requirements under Section 11327.4.
Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the
13Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with
14Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government
15Code), the State Department of Social Services shall implement
16this act through an all-county letter or similar instruction from the
17director. The all-county letter or similar instruction shall be issued
18no later than January 1, 2018.
No appropriation pursuant to Section 15200 of the
20Welfare and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of
21implementing this act.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
2this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
3local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
4pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
54 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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