BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2057 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 12, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES Susan Bonilla, Chair AB 2057 (Mark Stone) - As Amended April 4, 2016 SUBJECT: CalFresh: application information SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to develop information on and provide expedited services for CalFresh benefits for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires DSS to develop CalFresh information on expedited services, as specified, for victims of domestic violence. 2)Adds domestic violence shelters to the list of entities where information regarding CalFresh expedited services is required to be made available. 3)Requires each county human services agency to offer annual training on CalFresh application procedures to domestic violence shelter operators, to include eligibility criteria and specific information regarding the eligibility of victims of domestic violence. AB 2057 Page 2 4)Requires each county human services agency to provide domestic violence shelters with a supply of that portion of the CalFresh application used to request expedited CalFresh services, if requested by the shelter. 5)Requires that a victim of domestic violence who is currently a part of a certified household that also contains the abuser, and who is a resident of, or an individual on a waiting list to get into, a shelter for battered women and children be entitled to receive expedited CalFresh benefits as a separate household, to the extent permitted by federal law, regulations, waivers, and directives. 6)Exempts CalFresh recipients who are victims of domestic violence from the CalFresh Employment and Training program. EXISTING LAW: 1)Establishes under federal law the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pursuant to the Food Stamp Act of 1964 and establishes, in California statute, the CalFresh program to administer the provision of federal SNAP benefits to families and individuals meeting certain criteria, as specified. (WIC 18900 et seq.) 2)Establishes the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Act, and defines the EBT system as the program designed to provide benefits to those eligible to receive public assistance benefits such as CalWORKs and CalFresh. (WIC 10065 et seq.) 3)Requires a county human services agency to screen all CalFresh applications for entitlement to expedited services and to AB 2057 Page 3 authorize immediate issuance of CalFresh benefits within a certain amount of time, as specified. (WIC 18914) 4)Establishes within CalFresh the federal Employment and Training (E&T) program to assist members of CalFresh households in gaining skills, training, work, or experience that will increase their ability to obtain regular employment. (7 CFR 273.7, WIC 18926.5) 5)Defines in federal statute, approved activities under the E&T program including education, as specified, participation in a Workforce Investment Act program, and other activities. (7 U.S.C. Sec. 2015(e)(3)(B)) 6)Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which permits states to implement the program under a state plan. (42 USC § 601 et seq.) 7)Establishes in state law the CalWORKs program to provide cash assistance and other social services for low-income families through the TANF program. Under CalWORKs, each county provides assistance through a combination of state, county and federal TANF funds. (WIC 10530) 8)Requires a county welfare department at the time of application to determine whether the applicant needs immediate assistance because the applicant does not have sufficient resources to meet his or her emergency needs, as specified. (WIC 11266 et seq.) FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. AB 2057 Page 4 COMMENTS: CalFresh: CalFresh benefits are funded entirely by the federal government through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets specific eligibility requirements for SNAP programs across the United States, including a gross and net income test, work requirements, and other documentation requirements. The maximum allowable gross income is typically 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Households with elderly or disabled members are not subject to gross income criteria but must have a net monthly income at or below 100% of the FPL. Other households must meet both gross and net monthly income tests. CalFresh is administered locally by county human services agencies, and the federal, state, and county governments share in the cost of administration of the program. Benefits are made available on a monthly basis for food purchase through an ATM-like electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card. However, unlike other types of benefits that may be accessed through an EBT card, CalFresh benefits cannot be withdrawn in cash at point-of-sale terminals or at ATM machines. CalFresh benefits can only be used to purchase food items to be prepared and consumed at home, as well as seeds and plants that can be grown at home and produce food. The average monthly benefit for a CalFresh recipient is $144.35 per month, or $4.81 per person per day. According to DSS, certain households may qualify for expedited services (ES) for CalFresh benefits. These households experience the same application process as all other clients, but not all information has to be verified before benefits are issued. Households may qualify for ES if the household meets the following criteria: AB 2057 Page 5 1) Has less than $150 in monthly gross income and liquid resources of $100 or less; or 2) Contains migrant or seasonal farm workers who are destitute; or 3) Has a combined monthly gross income and liquid resources which are less than the household monthly rent or mortgage and utilities. CalFresh Employment and Training Program (E&T): The CalFresh Employment and Training (E&T) Program is California's employment and training program for Non-assistance CalFresh applicants and recipients. Non-assistance recipients are those who receive CalFresh benefits each month but do not receive a monthly cash grant under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Program. CalFresh E&T was developed in order to comply with federal legislation which requires states to established employment and training programs for persons receiving SNAP benefits. Participants can be assigned to a variety of activities, which include job club, job search, workfare, and basic education, among others. For the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the DSS estimates a caseload of 1,989,447 for Non-assistance CalFresh households. Need for this bill: According to the author, "Escaping an abusive relationship is not only difficult but can also be dangerous for domestic violence victims. When individuals leave a domestic violence situation, it can be the most dangerous time in the relationship. It is important that victims are able to focus on their safety and the safety of anyone else they may be taking out of the household. At such a stressful and dangerous time in their lives, victims should not have to worry about how AB 2057 Page 6 they will be able to eat and access their CalFresh benefits. If victims are on the same CalFresh card as their partners, they may worry their partners will track their movements through shared CalFresh accounts. To protect victims' safety, California must quickly process new CalFresh accounts for victims so they will be better protected from their partners and be able to access their benefits without worry." According to the bill's sponsor, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, "many people experiencing abuse find they have limited or no say in their own finances. Fear regarding financial stability often determines whether they return to a person who has abused them. Concern about continued access to benefits, such as CalFresh, adds to anxieties regarding how they and their children will survive?[This bill] will ease one major barrier for people leaving an abusive situation by improving access to anti-hunger benefits." REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support Asian Women's Shelter California Food Polity Advocates (CFPA) California Immigrant Policy Center AB 2057 Page 7 Center for Domestic Peace CORA Feeding America San Diego Filipina Women's Network (FWN) Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Healthy Communities, Inc. Hunger Action Los Angeles Jenesse Center, Inc. Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence Orange County Food Access Coalition (OCFAC) Positive Women's Network - USA AB 2057 Page 8 Project MANA Western Center on Law & Poverty - sponsor Women's Foundation of California - co-sponsor Women's Transition Living Center YWCA Glendale 5 individuals Opposition None on file. Analysis Prepared by:Kelsy Castillo / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 AB 2057 Page 9