Amended in Senate January 4, 2016

Amended in Senate April 21, 2015

Amended in Senate April 6, 2015

Senate Bill No. 659

Introduced by Senators Bates, Gaines, Huff, Nguyen, Nielsen, and Vidak

(Principal coauthor: Senator Stone)

(Coauthors: Senators Berryhill, Cannella, Fuller, begin insert Galgiani, end insert and Morrell)

February 27, 2015

An act to add and repeal Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 11337) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 659, as amended, Bates. Opportunity Grant Pilot Project.

Existing federal law provides for the allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families.

This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, begin insert in consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association of California, end insert no later than July 1, begin delete 2016, end delete begin insert 2017, end insert to design and implement a 5-year pilot project under which monetary grants are provided to organizations operating programs that assist individuals receiving CalWORKs benefits achieve economic independence. The bill would require the department, in developing the pilot project, among other things, to develop a competitive review process for all grant proposals submitted, begin insert to develop eligibility requirements for organizations seeking a grant, end insert and to develop an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of an organization receiving grant funding in teaching its program participants the skills necessary to achieve economic independence. The bill would authorize the department to enter into an agreement with an academic institution or other entity with sufficient expertise for the purpose of creating, performing, or both creating and performing the evaluation. The bill would authorize an organization receiving a grant to utilize the funds in any reasonable manner, as long as the funds are expended in furtherance of the organization’s program or other requirements established by the department. begin insert The bill would require organizations receiving grant funding to contact the county welfare department upon being notified of the grant and to make a good faith effort to coordinate their programs with CalWORKs requirements. end insert The bill would require the department, or the academic institution or other entity the department contracted with, to send a report evaluating the effectiveness of the programs funded by the grants to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by December 31, begin delete 2020. end delete begin insert 2021. end insert The bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund for the purpose of funding these provisions. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, begin delete 2021, end delete begin insert 2022, end insert and would repeal them on January 1, begin delete 2022. end delete begin insert 2023. end insert

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) California is expected to spend $142 billion on health and
human services programs this year, which is by far the largest state
budget expenditure, while total education spending for
kindergarten, grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and higher education
programs is only $80 billion per year.

(b) California has the fifth largest Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) cash grant in the nation, and begin insert the end insert second
largest amongst the 10 largest states, yet poverty remains a
persistent problem.

(c) We must recognize that California’s problems of poverty
and inequality do not stem from a lack of safety net programs.

(d) California’s social safety net needs to invest in programs
that elevate people out of poverty rather than helping people live
better in poverty.

SEC. 2.  

Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 11337) is added
to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:

 

Article 3.7.  Opportunity Grant Pilot Project

 

11337.  

(a) The State Department of Social begin delete Services end delete begin insert Services,
in consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association of
California, end insert shall, no later than July 1, begin delete 2016, end delete begin insert 2017, end insert design and
implement a five-year pilot project under which monetary grants
are provided to organizations operating programs that assist
individuals receiving CalWORKs benefits achieve economic
independence.

(b) In developing the pilot project described in subdivision (a),
the department shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:

(1) Develop a competitive review process for all grant proposals
submitted and a methodology to determine grant amounts.

(2) Develop eligibility requirements for organizations seeking
a grant. The eligibility requirements shall, at a minimum, require
an organization’s program to include all of the elements specified
in subdivision (d). The eligibility requirements for organizations
seeking a grant do not affect an individual’s eligibility for
CalWORKs benefits, as determined by the county.

(3) Develop an ongoing evaluation, utilizing objective criteria,
of the effectiveness of an organization receiving grant funding in
teaching its program participants the skills necessary to achieve
economic independence. The evaluation criteria shall, at a
minimum, include an examination of all of the following:

(A) The number and percentage of participants that complete
the program.

(B) The number and percentage of program participants that
begin the program with a high school diploma or equivalent.

(C) The number and percentage of program participants that
achieve a high school diploma or equivalent while in the program.

(D) The number of program participants that obtain
nonsubsidized employment of at least 20 hours per week by the
time of program completion, with regular followup to determine
if this minimum level of nonsubsidized employment is maintained
for the duration of the ongoing evaluation required by this
paragraph.

(E) The attainment of academic stability for the children of
program participants. The department shall develop a definition
of academic stability for purposes of this section.

(F) The number and percentage of program participants still
receiving CalWORKs benefits upon completion of the program.

(G) The average income of program participants at the time of
program completion.

begin insert

(H) The number and percentage of program participants that
achieve family reunification, when applicable.

end insert begin insert

(4) Develop a periodic progress report for the duration of the
pilot project.

end insert

(c) The department may enter into an agreement with an
academic institution or other entity with sufficient expertise for
the purpose of creating, performing, or both creating and
performing the evaluation required by paragraph (3) of subdivision
(b). The department and any academic institution or other entity
the department contracts with to create, perform, or both create
and perform the evaluation shall seek input from stakeholders
during the development process.

(d) In order to be considered for a grant, an organization shall,
at a minimum, include all of the following elements in its program:

(1) Education focused on the attainment of a high school
diploma or its equivalent.

(2) Mental health services.

(3) Employment training.

(4) Financial training.

(5) Parenting skills training.

(6) Life skills training.

(7) Child care services. begin insert Each participating child care provider
shall obtain a criminal record clearance pursuant to Section
1596.871 of the Health and Safety Code. end insert If the organization serves
only pregnant women, the organization shall not be required to
provide child care services to be eligible for grant funding.

(8) A clean and sober environment.

(9) Comprehensive, targeted case management to assist program
participants.

(10) Ongoing monitoring of program participants for at least
five years after they have completed the program for purposes of
measuring long-term program effectiveness.

begin insert

(11) Trauma-informed social work.

end insert

(e) An organization receiving a grant may utilize the grant funds
in any reasonable manner, as long as the funds are expended in
furtherance of the program elements or other requirements the
department establishes. Housing, transportation, and child care
expenses for program participants shall be considered an allowable
use of grant funds.

(f) (1) The benefits an individual may receive through
participation in a program receiving grant funding are in addition
to any other public assistance benefits for which the individual
may be eligible.

(2) Organizations receiving grant funding may set their own
eligibility criteria for their programs as long as the eligibility
criteria are consistent with the goals of this pilot project. The
criteria for eligibility set by the organization do not affect an
individual’s eligibility for CalWORKs benefits, as determined by
the county.

begin insert

(3) Organizations receiving grant funding shall contact the
county welfare department upon being notified of the grant and
shall make a good faith effort to coordinate their programs with
CalWORKs requirements.

end insert

(g) Participation in a program administered by an organization
receiving grant funding pursuant to this section is voluntary.

(h) (1) No later than December 31, begin delete 2020, end delete begin insert 2021, end insert the department,
or the academic institution or other entity the department contracted
with pursuant to subdivision (c), shall send a report evaluating the
effectiveness of the programs funded by the grants to the relevant
policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The report shall
also be posted on the department’s Internet Web site.

(2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall not reveal the
identity of any program participant, nor shall it contain any
personally identifiable information.

(3) The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in
compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

11338.  

This article shall become inoperative on July 1, begin delete 2021, end delete
begin insert 2022, end insert and, as of January 1, begin delete 2022, end delete begin insert 2023, end insert is repealed, unless a later
enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1,
begin delete 2022, end delete begin insert 2023, end insert deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes
inoperative and is repealed.

SEC. 3.  

The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of
Social Services for purposes of funding the pilot program
developed pursuant to Article 3.7 (commencing with Section
11337) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code.