BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 2057


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          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.









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          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  








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            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.










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          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:










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             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  








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          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









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          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









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          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

















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