BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 2057 (Mark Stone) - CalFresh: victims of domestic violence
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|Version: May 27, 2016 |Policy Vote: HUMAN S. 4 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: Yes |
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|Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Debra Cooper |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: AB 2057 would authorize a CalFresh recipient who is
resident of, or an individual on a waiting list to get into, a
shelter for battered women and children to be entitled to
expedited CalFresh services and exempt them from mandatory
employment and training requirements. This bill would also add
domestic violence shelters to list the of locations where the
Department of Social Services (DSS) is required to distribute
CalFresh materials.
Fiscal
Impact:
Potentially significant increase in CalFresh benefits and
state-reimbursable administration costs. (Federal/GF)
Unknown, but likely significant administrative costs to DSS to
develop materials and provide information on CalFresh
expedited services to domestic violence shelters. (Federal/GF)
AB 2057 (Mark Stone) Page 1 of
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Approximately $100,000 to DSS for IT modifications to
accommodate new eligibility criteria. (Federal/GF)
Unknown, but potentially significant reimbursable mandate
costs to counties to provide information and annual training
to domestic violence shelter operators on CalFresh application
procedures and services.
Background: California provides nutritional benefits to approximately 4.4
million people through the CalFresh program. CalFresh benefits
are funded entirely by the federal government through the USDA's
SNAP program, which provides food benefits to eligible
households nationwide. The maximum gross income allowed to be
eligible is 130% of the federal poverty level. The average
monthly benefit for a CalFresh recipient in 2014 was $141.99 per
month, or $4.73 per day, according to the USDA.
According to the California Office of Emergency Services, 20,438
domestic violence survivors and children sought emergency
shelter in 2014. According to the author, "escaping an abusive
relationship is not only difficult but can also be dangerous for
domestic violence victims? At such a stressful and dangerous
time in their lives, victims should not have to worry about how
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."
Currently, CalFresh recipients and applicants can obtain
expedited service if the household has less than $150 in monthly
gross income and $100 or less in liquid resources, has migrant
or seasonal farm workers who are destitute, or the combined
monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than the
household monthly rent or mortgage and utilities. Expedited
CalFresh benefits are made available no later than the third
calendar day following the date the application was filed.
AB 2057 (Mark Stone) Page 2 of
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Federal law requires that California must have an Employment and
Training (E&T) Program to assist recipients of CalFresh benefits
in gaining skills, training, work, and experience that increases
their ability to obtain regular employment. Counties have the
discretion about whether to offer the program to non-assisted
CalFresh clients. The federal government provides for a waiver
from this work requirement under certain specified conditions.
California was recently granted an extension of its current
waiver and that waiver is set to expire on December 31, 2017. If
California's statewide waiver application is denied in part or
in whole for 2018 and future years, mandatory participation in
CalFresh E&T for populations that are not otherwise exempt would
apply.
Proposed Law:
This bill would:
Require DSS to develop CalFresh information on expedited
services, as specified, for victims of domestic violence.
Add domestic violence shelters to the list of locations where
information regarding CalFresh expedited service is required
to be distributed.
Require 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.
Require each human services agency to provide domestic
violence shelters with a supply of CalFresh applications used
to request expedited CalFresh services, if requested by the
shelter.
Require 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.
Exempt CalFresh recipients who are victims of domestic
violence from the CalFresh Employment and Training Program.
AB 2057 (Mark Stone) Page 3 of
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Related
Legislation: SB 134 (Hueso, Chapter 283, Statutes of 2013)
requires participating counties to exempt from the CalFresh E&T
program, a veteran who has been honorably discharged from the
United Stated Armed Forces.
Staff
Comments: The CalFresh E&T exemption would only impact domestic
violence victims who do not have a dependent. Under SNAP,
able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) are eligible for
benefits for only three months within a 36-month period unless
they participate in an E&T program. Existing law requires DSS to
seek a statewide waiver from the ABAWD work requirement. This
statewide waiver has been sought and granted every year since
2008. In the event that California is not approved for the
waiver after the current waiver expires, work requirements will
apply to the ABAWD population, including victims of domestic
violence who do not have a dependent.
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