Amended in Assembly April 6, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1994


Introduced by Assembly Member Lopez

February 16, 2016


An act to add Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 11340) to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalWORKs.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1994, as amended, Lopez. CalED Program.

Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law authorizes certain welfare-to-work participants to engage in adult basic education in satisfaction of these work requirements.

Existing law establishes the Cal-Learn Program, under which a recipient of CalWORKs aid who is under 19 years of age and who does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent is required to participate in the program as a student attending school on a full-time basis. Existing law provides for a supplement to, or a reduction in, a Cal-Learn participant’s aid grant based on his or her performance in school.

This bill would create the CalED Program for the purpose of assisting CalWORKs recipientsbegin delete who are at least 19 years of ageend delete to obtain high school diplomas or equivalencybegin delete certificates.end deletebegin insert certificates, if they are at least 19 years of age and satisfy specified eligibility criteria.end insert The bill would provide a one-time $500 aid supplement ifbegin delete theend deletebegin insert aend insert participantbegin insert in the programend insert successfully completes high school or a general educational development test approved by the State Board of Education and administered by a testing center approved by the State Department of Education. The bill would provide that participation in the program is optional and would authorize recipients of CalWORKs to opt out in writing. The bill would require the department to develop a comprehensive form that explains the benefits of the program and would require the county, at the time it conducts a welfare-to-work appraisal, to provide the form to the recipient. The bill would also require counties to arrange for the provision of education and supportive services that an individual needs to successfully participate in the CalED Program. By imposing these duties on counties,begin delete thisend deletebegin insert theend insert bill would impose 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.  

Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 11340) is
2added to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
3Institutions Code
, to read:

4 

5Article 3.7.  CalED Program
6

 

7

11340.  

(a) This article shall be known, and may be cited, as
8the CalED Program.

9(b) The Legislature finds and declares that the connection
10between education and long-term welfare dependency has been
P3    1well documented by social science research. Average time on aid
2for parents without a high school diploma or its equivalent is
3significantly longer than for parents who have completed high
4school or an equivalent program.

5(c) The Legislature finds that CalWORKs recipients have unique
6education, vocational, training, health, and other social service
7needs that are not specifically provided for as part of the
8welfare-to-work activities. Research shows that successful
9programs that help CalWORKs recipients achieve self-sufficiency
10increase the earning capacity of those individuals.

11

11341.  

A recipient of aid under this chapter is eligible to
12participate in the CalED Program if all of the following
13requirements are met:

14(a) The person is at least 19 years of age.

15(b) The person does not have a high school diploma or its
16equivalent.

begin delete

17(c) The person is attending school on a full-time basis, as
18normally defined by the school in which the participant enrolls.

end delete
begin delete

19(d)

end delete

20begin insert(c)end insert The person is participating in welfare-to-work activities
21pursuant to Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 11320).

22

11342.  

(a) Participation in the CalED Program is optional. If
23a person declines to participate, he or she shall opt out in writing.

24(b) At the time the county conducts an appraisal pursuant to
25Section 11325.2, the county shall inform each person who does
26not have a high school diploma or its equivalent that he or she may
27participate in the CalED Program or may opt out in writing, and
28shall give the person the form described in subdivision (c).

29(c) The State Department of Social Services shall develop a
30comprehensive form that explains the benefits of the program,
31including the bonuses that are available pursuant to Section 11344,
32in order to empower the person to make an informed decision.

33

11343.  

(a) Counties shall arrange for the provision of education
34and supportive services that a person needs to successfully
35participate in the CalED Program. The county shall identify the
36need of each person for, and the method of providing, the following
37services:

38(1) Supportive services, including child care and transportation,
39 as specified in Section 11323.2. Supportive services shall be limited
P4    1to those that are necessary to enable the person to attend school
2regularly.

3(2) Any other services necessary for the person to successfully
4participate in the CalED Program, which may include, but not be
5limited to, mental health services and substance abuse treatment.

6(b) CalED participants may participate in programs provided
7for in Section 52500 of the Education Code in order to obtain the
8 certificate described in Section 51420 of the Education Code.

begin delete
9

11344.  

(a) 

end delete
10begin insert

begin insert11344.end insert  

end insert
begin insert

(a) A participant in the CalED Program shall do all
11of the following:

end insert
begin insert

12
(1) Attend an educational program on a full-time basis, as
13normally defined by the school in which the participant enrolls.

end insert
begin insert

14
(2) Maintain adequate progress in the educational program.

end insert
begin insert

15
(3) Submit grades, if available, to the county welfare department
16on a basis to be determined by the county welfare department.

end insert

17begin insert(b)end insertbegin insertend insert A participant who fails to demonstrate that he or she has
18made adequate progress in school, either by failing to provide a
19report card or based on the grades on the report card, shall be
20assigned to another welfare-to-work activity.

begin delete

21(b)

end delete

22begin insert(c)end insert A participant who successfully completes high school or a
23 general educational development test approved by the State Board
24of Education and administered by a testing center approved by the
25State Department of Education shall receive a one-time supplement
26in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500). The five hundred
27dollar ($500) supplement shall be paid to the participant in the
28month following submission of the record of completion, if
29received by the county no later than the 11th calendar day of the
30month, or in the second month following submission of the record
31of completion, if received by the county after the 11th calendar
32day of the month.

begin insert

33
(d) For purposes of this section, “adequate progress” means
34maintaining a grade point average of at least 1.0 on a scale where
35A equals 4.0 points and F equals 0 points.

end insert
36

SEC. 2.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
37this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
38local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
P5    1pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
24 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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