BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2058
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Date of Hearing: May 11, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2058 (Mayes) - As Amended May 4, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY: This bill creates the California Work Opportunity and
Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Educational Opportunity and
Attainment Program to offer education grants to eligible
CalWORKs participants who complete certain educational programs.
Specifically, this bill:
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1)Permits a CalWORKs recipient to apply for an education grant,
which constitutes an ongoing adjustment to a participant's
monthly CalWORKs cash grant, awarded as follows:
a) $100 per month for completion of high school or its
equivalent;
b) $200 per month for completion of an associate's degree
or career technical education program; and
c) $300 per month for completion of a bachelor's degree.
2)Stipulates that grant amounts are not cumulative, and that a
participant shall receive, on an ongoing basis, the highest
monthly bonus for which he or she is eligible.
3)Requires a participant to submit evidence of completion of an
educational program to the county when applying for the
education grant.
4)Appropriates $20 million from the General Fund to the
California Community Colleges to fund services provided under
the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program, as specified and
including, but not limited to, education and career counseling
services, employment development services, including job
development staff positions, and work study positions.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)The bill contains a one-time $20 million General Fund
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appropriation to the California Community Colleges to fund
services under the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program.
2)Ongoing unknown, but significant costs likely in the millions
of dollars (GF) annually to fund the cash grants.
3)One-time costs of approximately $1 million (GF) for necessary
automation changes.
4)Unknown, potentially reimbursable mandate costs to counties to
verify completion of the program, certify a recipient's
eligibility and ensure a recipient's monthly cash grant is
increased.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "The goal of this bill is
to encourage and support those on CalWORKs to get the
education they need to become self-sufficient and to thrive.
It is also intended to change the life trajectory of children
in low-income households-not only would their immediate needs
be better met, they would have a greater chance of achieving
successful and fulfilling lives as adults. This bill will
provide supports and incentives to help CalWORKs recipients
pursue education, improving the well-being of low-income
California families and helping break the cycle of poverty."
2)California Community College CalWORKs Program. The California
Community Colleges CalWORKs program was created in 1997 when
the state established the CalWORKs program in response to the
federal welfare reform of 1996. Today, there are CalWORKs
programs in all 113 of the state's community colleges, as well
as in one adult education center. Over 31,000 CalWORKs
participants are enrolled in community colleges across the
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state.
The individual community college CalWORKs programs coordinate
with local county human services offices and deliver case
management and a number of services to participants,
including: on- and off-campus subsidized work study
placements; and academic, career, and personal counseling
involving intensive case management, career exploration,
coordination of child care services, and collaboration with
on-campus student services and off-campus community based
organizations for emergency assistance. English language
learners and individuals seeking to complete a high school
equivalency program can also access educational and other
services through the California Community College CalWORKs
program.
When originally established, the California Community Colleges
CalWORKs program had an annual budget of approximately $81
million ($65 million in Prop 98 dollars, and $16 million in
federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF]
monies). This budget was cut significantly - by 46% - in
2002-03 as the state struggled with a budget deficit. Other
cuts and augmentations have taken place since then; the budget
for the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program is
currently approximately $43 million ($35 million Prop 98, and
$8 million TANF).
3)Educational attainment of CalWORKs participants. The
Department of Social Services (DSS) reports that, in Federal
Fiscal Year 2013, 52.3% of heads-of-household in single-parent
CalWORKs families had completed high school or the equivalent,
and 56.1% of heads-of-household in two-parent families had.
In each of fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15, DSS reports that
approximately 19,000 associate's degrees were earned by
CalWORKs recipients (note that one individual may have
received more than one degree in given year). During those
same fiscal years, the California Community Colleges
Chancellor's Office reports that approximately 31,000 CalWORKs
participants were enrolled in community college in the state.
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4)Cal-Learn. Cal-Learn is a statewide program for pregnant and
parenting teens in the CalWORKs program, designed to encourage
pregnant and parenting teens to graduate from high school or
attain an equivalency diploma. Bonuses include four $100
bonuses per year earned based on report card results, and a
one-time $500 bonus for graduating or attaining an equivalent
high school diploma. Sanctions are applied if satisfactory
grades are not maintained, and/or timely report cards are not
submitted. Participation in Cal-Learn is limited to and
required for pregnant/parenting teens who are receiving
CalWORKs and who are under the age of 19, live in the same
household as their child, have not graduated from high school
or its equivalent, and are not in foster care. DSS estimates
that 7,700 teens participate in Cal-Learn each month.
5)Related Legislation.
a) AB 1994 (Lopez) creates the CalED program to provide a
one-time $500 supplement to eligible CalWORKs participants
upon obtaining a high school diploma or equivalency
certificate. This bill is pending on this Committee's
Suspense file.
b) AB 2448 (Burke) changes CalWORKs requirements regarding
permissible welfare-to-work activities to facilitate a
recipient's completion of a high school equivalency
program. This bill is pending in the Senate Human Services
Committee.
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Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081