Amended in Assembly August 2, 2016

Amended in Senate May 31, 2016

Amended in Senate March 31, 2016

Senate BillNo. 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 amended, 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 county, if that county elects to conduct the personal interview telephonically or through other electronic means, to conduct an in-person personal interview if requested by an applicant.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

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

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
2County Option of Efficient Interviewing of CalWORKs Applicants
3Act of 2016.

4

SEC. 2.  

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

6

11052.5.  

(a) An applicant shall not be granted public assistance
7under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) and Chapter
85.1 (commencing with Section 13000) until he or she is first
9personally interviewed by the office of the county human services
10agency or state staff for patients in state hospitals.

11(b) Inbegin insert determining eligibility for public assistance under Chapter
122 (commencing with Section 11200), inend insert
lieu of an in-person
13personal interview as required under subdivision (a), the county
14may elect to conduct the interview required by this section
15telephonically or through other electronic means.begin delete Ifend delete

16begin insert(c)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insertIfend insert an applicant is incapable of acting in his or her own behalf,
17the county department shall verify this fact by personal contact
18with the applicant before aid is authorized. As used in this section,
19the term public assistance does not include health care as provided
20by Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000).

begin delete

21(c)

end delete

22begin insert(d)end insert The interview conducted pursuant to this section shall occur
23within seven days after the time of application unless there are
24extenuating circumstances that justify further delay.

begin delete

25(d)

end delete

26begin insert(e)end insert If a county elects to conduct the personal interviewbegin insert to
27determine eligibility for public assistance under Chapter 2
28(commencing with Section 11200)end insert
required under subdivision (a)
29telephonically or through other electronic means,begin insert pursuant to
30subdivision (b),end insert
the county shall conduct an in-person personal
P3    1interview in lieu of an interview through telephonic or other
2electronic means if requested by an applicant.



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