Senate Bill No. 947

Introduced by Senator Pan

February 3, 2016

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 947, 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 human services agency or state hospital staff. Existing law also requires the county department to verify if an applicant is incapable of acting on his or her own behalf by personal contact with the applicant before aid is authorized.

This bill would authorize the county human services agency to conduct this personal interview telephonically or through electronic means. The bill would require a personal interview to be conducted if requested by an applicant or recipient. The bill would delete the requirement that the county department verify an applicant is incapable of acting on his or her own behalf.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. 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 2016.

SEC. 2.  

Section 11052.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
is amended to read:

11052.5.  

begin delete No end delete begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert An end insert applicant shall begin insert not end insert be granted public
assistance under begin delete Chapters 2 end delete begin insert Chapter 2 end insert (commencing with Section
11200) begin delete and 5 (commencing with Section 13000) of this part end delete until
he or she is first personally interviewed by the office of the county
begin delete department end delete begin insert human services agency end insert or state staff for patients in
state hospitals. begin delete The end delete begin delete personal end delete

begin insert (b) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert In lieu of an in-person personal interview as required under
subdivision (a), the county may elect to conduct the interview
required by this section telephonically or through other electronic
means. The end insert interview shall be conducted promptly following the
application for assistance. begin delete If an applicant is incapable of acting in
his or her own behalf, the county department shall verify this fact
by personal contact with the applicant before aid is authorized. end delete As
used in this section, the term public assistance does not include
health care as provided by Chapter 7 (commencing with Section
14000).

begin delete

The

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The end insert 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.

begin insert

(d) A personal interview shall be conducted if requested by an
applicant.

end insert