BILL NUMBER: SB 312	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Pan

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2015

   An act to amend Section 11052.5 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 312, as introduced, Pan. Public assistance: personal
interviews.
   Existing law provides for protection, care, and assistance for
people of the state by providing appropriate aid and services to the
needy and distressed. Programs established for this purpose include
the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program
(CalWORKs), which provides cash assistance and other social services
to needy families, using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) block grant program, state, and county funds.
Existing law prohibits an applicant from being granted public
assistance under CalWORKs until he or she is personally interviewed
by the county welfare department or state hospital staff.
   This bill would authorize the county welfare department to conduct
this personal interview telephonically or through electronic means
if the county welfare department determines that a personal interview
by telephone or electronic means would be more efficient. The bill
would authorize the State Department of Social Services to implement
the bill by means of all-county letters or similar instructions. The
bill would also delete an obsolete cross-reference.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
County Option of Efficient Interviewing of CalWORKs Applicants Act of
2015.
  SEC. 2.  Section 11052.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   11052.5.   No   (a)     An
 applicant shall  not  be granted public assistance
under  Chapters   Chapter  2 (commencing
with Section 11200)  and 5 (commencing with Section 13000) of
this part  until he or she is first personally interviewed
by the office of the county  welfare  department or state
staff for patients in state hospitals. The personal interview shall
be conducted promptly following the application for assistance. 
The county welfare department may conduct the personal interview by
telephone or through electronic means if the county welfare
department determines that a personal interview by telephone or
electronic means will be more efficient.  If an applicant is
incapable of acting in his or her own behalf, the county  welfare
 department shall verify this fact by personal contact with the
applicant before aid is authorized. As used in this section, the
term public assistance does not include health care as provided by
Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000). 
   The 
    (b)     The  interview conducted
pursuant to this section shall occur within seven days after the time
of application unless there are extenuating circumstances that
justify further delay.
  SEC. 3.  Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the
Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code),
the State Department of Social Services may implement this act
through an all-county letter or similar instruction from the
director. The all-county letter or similar instruction shall be
issued no later than April 1, 2016.