BILL NUMBER: AB 963 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 25, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 13, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 28, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 2, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ammiano
FEBRUARY 26, 2009
An act to add Section 14012.6 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 963, as amended, Ammiano. Public Social
social services: renewal and recertification of eligibility.
Existing law creates various programs to provide health care
services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various
eligibility requirements, including, but not limited to, the Medi-Cal
program, which is administered by the State Department of Health
Care Services, and under which qualified low-income individuals
receive health care benefits. Existing law also provides for the Food
Stamp Program, under which food stamps are allocated by each county
in accordance with federal requirements, and the CalWORKs program,
under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits
to qualified low-income families and individuals who meet specified
eligibility criteria. Under existing law, the Food Stamp Program and
the CalWORKs program are administered at the state level by the State
Department of Social Services.
Existing law requires recipients of Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, and
CalWORKs benefits to, on a specified basis, renew or recertify their
eligibility.
This bill would require the State Department of Health Care
Services, in consultation with counties, the State Department of
Social Services, representatives of the Statewide Automated Welfare
System (SAWS) consortia, consumers, and other affected stakeholder
groups to conduct a stakeholder planning workgroup to develop a joint
renewal and recertification form to be used by individuals and
families who are recipients of one or more of the Medi-Cal, Food
Stamp, or CalWORKs benefit programs. This bill would require the
stakeholder planning workgroup to develop the renewal and
recertification form, and any related policies and procedures,
no later than July 1, 2011. By modifying the Medi-Cal, Food
Stamp, and CalWORKs eligibility renewal and recertification
processes, this bill would increase the responsibilities of the
counties in the administration of the Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, and
CalWORKs programs, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program
to be considered for adoption by the department and
other entities .
This bill would require the department to implement this measure
by all-county letters or similar instructions on or before January 1,
2012. After implementation by all-county letters or similar
instructions, the department would be required to adopt comprehensive
implementing regulations, as specified, on or before July 1, 2012.
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 no .
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 14012.6 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
14012.6. (a) The department, in consultation with counties, the
State Department of Social Services, representatives of the Statewide
Automated Welfare System (SAWS) consortia, consumers, and other
affected stakeholder groups, shall conduct a stakeholder planning
workgroup to develop a joint renewal and recertification form to be
used by individuals and families who are recipients of one or more of
the Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, or CalWORKs benefits programs. The
workgroup shall include consumer advocates with expertise in each of
the Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, and CalWORKs programs.
(b) The stakeholder planning workgroup shall develop the joint
renewal and recertification form, and any related policies and
procedures, to be consid ered for adoption by
the department, the counties, the State Department of Social
Services, and the SAWS consortia , no later than July 1,
2011 . In developing the form, policies, and procedures the
stakeholder planning workgroup shall do all of the following:
(1) Determine which questions and documentation requests on
existing renewal and recertification forms are necessary and
eliminate any requests for information or documentation that are
duplicative.
(2) Develop the joint renewal and recertification form to allow
recipients to skip sections on the form if they are not enrolled in,
or do not want to be evaluated for, one or more of the benefit
programs.
(3) Develop the forms, policies, and procedures to be used for
both paper and electronic renewal and recertification.
(4) Maximize use of shared technology and information to minimize
burdens on recipients and county eligibility staff, and assist
families in a consumer friendly renewal and recertification process.
(5) Align renewal and recertification dates for recipients without
requiring the recipients to lose any benefits earlier than they
otherwise would have in the initial alignment year.
(6) Establish appropriate procedures and safeguards for data and
information sharing pursuant to this section that meet the
confidentiality and privacy requirements of the Medi-Cal, Food Stamp,
and CalWORKs programs but do not require additional consent from the
recipients.
(7) Give priority to the program changes necessary to enable the
SAWS consortia to automate the renewal and recertification procedure,
maximize the use of available information, and minimize manual
workload.
(8) Ensure that recipients experience no disruption in coverage or
diminution of their rights under this chapter.
(9) Consider any additional modifications that could be made to
the renewal and recertification procedures to minimize burdens on the
recipients and encourage retention of Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, and
CalWORKs benefits. Additional modifications to be considered shall
include, but not be limited to, those permitted under federal law,
including those permitted through a waiver, such as electronic and
telephonic renewal methods, prepopulated forms, elimination of
interview requirements, and electronic verifications.
(10) Consider any changes that may be needed under federal health
reform, any guidance provided by the United States Department of
Agriculture, and any other changes that may be needed in federal law
or policy that would ensure a smooth transition to the use of the
joint renewal and recertification form.
(c) The department, in consultation with the State Department of
Social Services, shall obtain funding only from private sources to
finance the stakeholder workgroup.
(d) This section shall be implemented by all-county letters or
similar instructions no later than January 1, 2012. After
implementation by all-county letters or similar instructions, the
department shall adopt comprehensive implementing regulations in
accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with
Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government
Code. Regulations shall be issued no later than July 1, 2012.
(c) The department, in consultation with the State Department of
Social Services, shall obtain funding from private or public sources
to finance the stakeholder planning workgroup, except that no General
Fund moneys shall be used for this purpose.
SEC. 2. 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.