Amended in Assembly April 4, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2151

Introduced by Assembly Member Chu

February 17, 2016

An act to amend Section 11450 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalWORKs.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2151, as amended, Chu. CalWORKs: special diet or food preparation needs allowance.

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 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant program, state, and county funds. Existing law specifies the amounts of cash aid to be paid each month to CalWORKs recipients, including an allowance for recurring special needs, as specified.

This bill would require that an additional allowance be paid each month in the amount of $20 or actual expenses, whichever is greater, to a recipient who has a begin delete special dietary end delete begin insert special, diet-related food end insert need caused by a permanent or temporary medical condition, other than pregnancy. The bill would require the verification to be signed by a licensed physician, dentist, dietician, nutritionist, or other qualified health practitioner. By increasing the administrative duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.

This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill.

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:

SECTION 1.  

Section 11450 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code is amended to read:

11450.  

(a) (1) (A) Aid shall be paid for each needy family,
which shall include all eligible brothers and sisters of each eligible
applicant or recipient child and the parents of the children, but
shall not include unborn children, or recipients of aid under Chapter
3 (commencing with Section 12000), qualified for aid under this
chapter. In determining the amount of aid paid, and notwithstanding
the minimum basic standards of adequate care specified in Section
11452, the family’s income, exclusive of any amounts considered
exempt as income or paid pursuant to subdivision (e) or Section
11453.1, determined for the prospective semiannual period
pursuant to Sections 11265.1, 11265.2, and 11265.3, and then
calculated pursuant to Section 11451.5, shall be deducted from
the sum specified in the following table, as adjusted for
cost-of-living increases pursuant to Section 11453 and paragraph
(2). In no case shall the amount of aid paid for each month exceed
the sum specified in the following table, as adjusted for
cost-of-living increases pursuant to Section 11453 and paragraph
(2), plus any special needs, as specified in subdivisions (c), (e),
and (f):

 

Number of  eligible needy  persons in the same home	Maximum aid
1	$  326
2	535
3	663
4	788
5	899
6	1,010
7	1,109
8	1,209
9	1,306
10 or more	1,403

 

(B) If, when, and during those times that the United States
government increases or decreases its contributions in assistance
of needy children in this state above or below the amount paid on
July 1, 1972, the amounts specified in the above table shall be
increased or decreased by an amount equal to that increase or
decrease by the United States government, provided that no
increase or decrease shall be subject to subsequent adjustment
pursuant to Section 11453.

(2) The sums specified in paragraph (1) shall not be adjusted
for cost of living for the 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94,
1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, and 1997-98 fiscal years, and through
October 31, 1998, nor shall that amount be included in the base
for calculating any cost-of-living increases for any fiscal year
thereafter. Elimination of the cost-of-living adjustment pursuant
to this paragraph shall satisfy the requirements of former Section
11453.05, and no further reduction shall be made pursuant to that
section.

(b) (1) When the family does not include a needy child qualified
for aid under this chapter, aid shall be paid to a pregnant child who
is 18 years of age or younger at any time after verification of
pregnancy, in the amount that would otherwise be paid to one
person, as specified in subdivision (a), if the child and her child,
if born, would have qualified for aid under this chapter. Verification
of pregnancy shall be required as a condition of eligibility for aid
under this subdivision.

(2)  Notwithstanding paragraph (1), when the family does not
include a needy child qualified for aid under this chapter, aid shall
be paid to a pregnant woman for the month in which the birth is
anticipated and for the six-month period immediately prior to the
month in which the birth is anticipated, in the amount that would
otherwise be paid to one person, as specified in subdivision (a), if
the woman and child, if born, would have qualified for aid under
this chapter. Verification of pregnancy shall be required as a
condition of eligibility for aid under this subdivision.

(3) Paragraph (1) shall apply only when the Cal-Learn Program
is operative.

(c) The amount of forty-seven dollars ($47) per month shall be
paid to pregnant women qualified for aid under subdivision (a) or
(b) to meet special needs resulting from pregnancy if the woman
and child, if born, would have qualified for aid under this chapter.
County welfare departments shall refer all recipients of aid under
this subdivision to a local provider of the Women, Infants, and
Children program. If that payment to pregnant women qualified
for aid under subdivision (a) is considered income under federal
law in the first five months of pregnancy, payments under this
subdivision shall not apply to persons eligible under subdivision
(a), except for the month in which birth is anticipated and for the
three-month period immediately prior to the month in which
delivery is anticipated, if the woman and child, if born, would have
qualified for aid under this chapter.

(d) For children receiving AFDC-FC under this chapter, there
shall be paid, exclusive of any amount considered exempt as
income, an amount of aid each month that, when added to the
child’s income, is equal to the rate specified in Section 11460,
11461, 11462, 11462.1, or 11463. In addition, the child shall be
eligible for special needs, as specified in departmental regulations.

(e) (1) In addition to the amounts payable under subdivision
(a) and Section 11453.1, a family shall be entitled to receive an
allowance for recurring special needs not common to a majority
of recipients. These recurring special needs shall include, but not
be limited to, begin delete special diets or end delete food preparation begin delete needs, end delete begin delete as described
in paragraph (2), end delete begin insert needs end insert and unusual costs of transportation, laundry,
housekeeping services, telephone, and utilities. begin delete Except as provided
in paragraph (2), the end delete begin insert The end insert recurring special needs allowance for
each family per month shall not exceed that amount resulting from
multiplying the sum of ten dollars ($10) by the number of recipients
in the family who are eligible for assistance.

(2) Each recipient is entitled to a begin delete special diet or food preparation end delete
begin insert special, diet-related food end insert needs allowance of twenty dollars ($20)
per month, or actual verified expenses related to the begin delete special diet
or food preparation end delete begin insert special, diet-related food end insert needs, whichever is
greater. The allowance shall be provided in the form of a
supplemental food benefit upon a county’s receipt of verification
that a recipient has a special dietary need caused by a permanent
or temporary medical condition, other than pregnancy. This
verification shall be signed by a licensed physician, dentist,
dietician, nutritionist, or other qualified health practitioner.

(f) After a family has used all available liquid resources, both
exempt and nonexempt, in excess of one hundred dollars ($100),
with the exception of funds deposited in a restricted account
described in subdivision (a) of Section 11155.2, the family shall
also be entitled to receive an allowance for nonrecurring special
needs.

(1) An allowance for nonrecurring special needs shall be granted
for replacement of clothing and household equipment and for
emergency housing needs other than those needs addressed by
paragraph (2). These needs shall be caused by sudden and unusual
circumstances beyond the control of the needy family. The
department shall establish the allowance for each of the
nonrecurring special needs items. The sum of all nonrecurring
special needs provided by this subdivision shall not exceed six
hundred dollars ($600) per event.

(2) (A) Homeless assistance is available to a homeless family
seeking shelter when the family is eligible for aid under this
chapter. Homeless assistance for temporary shelter is also available
to homeless families that are apparently eligible for aid under this
chapter. Apparent eligibility exists when evidence presented by
the applicant, or that is otherwise available to the county welfare
department, and the information provided on the application
documents indicate that there would be eligibility for aid under
this chapter if the evidence and information were verified.
However, an alien applicant who does not provide verification of
his or her eligible alien status, or a woman with no eligible children
who does not provide medical verification of pregnancy, is not
apparently eligible for purposes of this section.

(B) A family is considered homeless, for the purpose of this
section, when the family lacks a fixed and regular nighttime
residence; or the family has a primary nighttime residence that is
a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to
provide temporary living accommodations; or the family is residing
in a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as,
a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. A family is
also considered homeless for the purpose of this section if the
family has received a notice to pay rent or quit. The family shall
demonstrate that the eviction is the result of a verified financial
hardship as a result of extraordinary circumstances beyond their
control, and not other lease or rental violations, and that the family
is experiencing a financial crisis that could result in homelessness
if preventative assistance is not provided.

(3) (A) (i) A nonrecurring special needs benefit of sixty-five
dollars ($65) a day shall be available to families of up to four
members for the costs of temporary shelter, subject to the
requirements of this paragraph. The fifth and additional members
of the family shall each receive fifteen dollars ($15) per day, up
to a daily maximum of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125).
County welfare departments may increase the daily amount
available for temporary shelter as necessary to secure the additional
bedspace needed by the family.

(ii) This special needs benefit shall be granted or denied
immediately upon the family’s application for homeless assistance,
and benefits shall be available for up to three working days. The
county welfare department shall verify the family’s homelessness
within the first three working days begin delete and end delete begin insert and, end insert if the family meets
the criteria of questionable homelessness established by the
department, the county welfare department shall refer the family
to its early fraud prevention and detection unit, if the county has
such a unit, for assistance in the verification of homelessness within
this period.

(iii) After homelessness has been verified, the three-day limit
shall be extended for a period of time which, when added to the
initial benefits provided, does not exceed a total of 16 calendar
days. This extension of benefits shall be done in increments of one
week and shall be based upon searching for permanent housing
which shall be documented on a housing search form, good cause,
or other circumstances defined by the department. Documentation
of a housing search shall be required for the initial extension of
benefits beyond the three-day limit and on a weekly basis thereafter
as long as the family is receiving temporary shelter benefits. Good
cause shall include, but is not limited to, situations in which the
county welfare department has determined that the family, to the
extent it is capable, has made a good faith but unsuccessful effort
to secure permanent housing while receiving temporary shelter
benefits.

(B) (i) A nonrecurring special needs benefit for permanent
housing assistance is available to pay for last month’s rent and
security deposits when these payments are reasonable conditions
of securing a residence, or to pay for up to two months of rent
arrearages, when these payments are a reasonable condition of
preventing eviction.

(ii) The last month’s rent or monthly arrearage portion of the
payment (I) shall not exceed 80 percent of the family’s total
monthly household income without the value of CalFresh benefits
or special needs benefit for a family of that size and (II) shall only
be made to families that have found permanent housing costing
no more than 80 percent of the family’s total monthly household
income without the value of CalFresh benefits or special needs
benefit for a family of that size.

(iii) However, if the county welfare department determines that
a family intends to reside with individuals who will be sharing
housing costs, the county welfare department shall, in appropriate
circumstances, set aside the condition specified in subclause (II)
of clause (ii).

(C) The nonrecurring special needs benefit for permanent
housing assistance is also available to cover the standard costs of
deposits for utilities which are necessary for the health and safety
of the family.

(D) A payment for or denial of permanent housing assistance
shall be issued no later than one working day from the time that a
family presents evidence of the availability of permanent housing.
If an applicant family provides evidence of the availability of
permanent housing before the county welfare department has
established eligibility for aid under this chapter, the county welfare
department shall complete the eligibility determination so that the
denial of or payment for permanent housing assistance is issued
within one working day from the submission of evidence of the
availability of permanent housing, unless the family has failed to
provide all of the verification necessary to establish eligibility for
aid under this chapter.

(E) (i) Except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii), eligibility
for the temporary shelter assistance and the permanent housing
assistance pursuant to this paragraph shall be limited to one period
of up to 16 consecutive calendar days of temporary assistance and
one payment of permanent assistance. Any family that includes a
parent or nonparent caretaker relative living in the home who has
previously received temporary or permanent homeless assistance
at any time on behalf of an eligible child shall not be eligible for
further homeless assistance. Any person who applies for homeless
assistance benefits shall be informed that the temporary shelter
benefit of up to 16 consecutive days is available only once in a
lifetime, with certain exceptions, and that a break in the consecutive
use of the benefit constitutes permanent exhaustion of the
temporary benefit.

(ii) A family that becomes homeless as a direct and primary
result of a state or federally declared natural disaster shall be
eligible for temporary and permanent homeless assistance.

(iii) A family shall be eligible for temporary and permanent
homeless assistance when homelessness is a direct result of
domestic violence by a spouse, partner, or roommate; physical or
mental illness that is medically verified that shall not include a
diagnosis of alcoholism, drug addiction, or psychological stress;
or, the uninhabitability of the former residence caused by sudden
and unusual circumstances beyond the control of the family
including natural catastrophe, fire, or condemnation. These
circumstances shall be verified by a third-party governmental or
private health and human services agency, except that domestic
violence may also be verified by a sworn statement by the victim,
as provided under Section 11495.25. Homeless assistance payments
based on these specific circumstances may not be received more
often than once in any 12-month period. In addition, if the domestic
violence is verified by a sworn statement by the victim, the
homeless assistance payments shall be limited to two periods of
not more than 16 consecutive calendar days of temporary assistance
and two payments of permanent assistance. A county may require
that a recipient of homeless assistance benefits who qualifies under
this paragraph for a second time in a 24-month period participate
in a homelessness avoidance case plan as a condition of eligibility
for homeless assistance benefits. The county welfare department
shall immediately inform recipients who verify domestic violence
by a sworn statement of the availability of domestic violence
counseling and services, and refer those recipients to services upon
request.

(iv) If a county requires a recipient who verifies domestic
violence by a sworn statement to participate in a homelessness
avoidance case plan pursuant to clause (iii), the plan shall include
the provision of domestic violence services, if appropriate.

(v) If a recipient seeking homeless assistance based on domestic
violence pursuant to clause (iii) has previously received homeless
avoidance services based on domestic violence, the county shall
review whether services were offered to the recipient and consider
what additional services would assist the recipient in leaving the
domestic violence situation.

(vi) The county welfare department shall report necessary data
to the department through a statewide homeless assistance payment
indicator system, as requested by the department, regarding all
recipients of aid under this paragraph.

(F) The county welfare departments, and all other entities
participating in the costs of the CalWORKs program, have the
right in their share to any refunds resulting from payment of the
permanent housing. However, if an emergency requires the family
to move within the 12-month period specified in subparagraph
(E), the family shall be allowed to use any refunds received from
its deposits to meet the costs of moving to another residence.

(G) Payments to providers for temporary shelter and permanent
housing and utilities shall be made on behalf of families requesting
these payments.

(H) The daily amount for the temporary shelter special needs
benefit for homeless assistance may be increased if authorized by
the current year’s Budget Act by specifying a different daily
allowance and appropriating the funds therefor.

(I) No payment shall be made pursuant to this paragraph unless
the provider of housing is a commercial establishment, shelter, or
person in the business of renting properties who has a history of
renting properties.

(g) The department shall establish rules and regulations ensuring
the uniform statewide application of this section.

(h) The department shall notify all applicants and recipients of
aid through the standardized application form that these benefits
are available and shall provide an opportunity for recipients to
apply for the funds quickly and efficiently.

(i) (A) Except for the purposes of Section 15200, the amounts
payable to recipients pursuant to Section 11453.1 shall not
constitute part of the payment schedule set forth in subdivision
(a).

(B) The amounts payable to recipients pursuant to Section
11453.1 shall not constitute income to recipients of aid under this
section.

(j) For children receiving Kin-GAP pursuant to Article 4.5
(commencing with Section 11360) or Article 4.7 (commencing
with Section 11385) there shall be paid, exclusive of any amount
considered exempt as income, an amount of aid each month, which,
when added to the child’s income, is equal to the rate specified in
Sections 11364 and 11387.

(k) (1) A county shall implement the semiannual reporting
requirements in accordance with Chapter 501 of the Statutes of
2011 no later than October 1, 2013.

(2) Upon completion of the implementation described in
paragraph (1), each county shall provide a certificate to the director
certifying that semiannual reporting has been implemented in the
county.

(3) Upon filing the certificate described in paragraph (2), a
county shall comply with the semiannual reporting provisions of
this section.

SEC. 2.  

No appropriation pursuant to Section 15200 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of
implementing this act.

SEC. 3.  

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