BILL NUMBER: AB 808 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 30, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Skinner
FEBRUARY 17, 2011
An act to amend Section 18901.6 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 808, as amended, Skinner. CalFresh: transitional
benefits. benefits and recertification.
Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and
other social services to needy families through the California Work
Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using
federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant
program, state, and county funds.
Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh,
formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which food stamps allocated
to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible
individuals by each county. Existing law authorizes
requires county welfare departments to provide
transitional CalFresh benefits to households terminating their
participation in the CalWORKs program, to the maximum extent
allowable by federal law.
This bill would require the county welfare department to mail a
transitional CalFresh benefits recipient a periodic reporting form at
the same time that the final month of transitional benefits are
issued. The bill would require the department to revise the form to
ask the recipient whether continued benefits are desired after the
transitional benefits terminate, and to direct the recipient to
complete the reporting form, as specified. The completed reporting
form would be considered an application for continued CalFresh
benefits. By imposing additional requirements on counties in
administering the program, this bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to
meet and consult with advocates and the counties in implementing the
bill, and would authorize the bill's implementation by all-county
letters or similar instructions from the director.
This bill would require the county welfare department to provide
each household receiving transitional CalFresh benefits with a notice
for recertification to continue to receive regular CalFresh
benefits, which would include an appointment date and time, as
specified. By imposing additional duties on counties administering
CalFresh, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 18901.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
18901.6. (a) To the maximum extent allowable by federal law, each
county welfare department shall provide transitional CalFresh
benefits to households terminating their participation in the
CalWORKs program.
(b) When the last month of transitional CalFresh benefits are
issued under this section, the county welfare department shall also
mail the recipient the regular periodic reporting form used by the
department, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the
department for regular periodic reporting. The form provided pursuant
to this subdivision shall be revised to include a space for the
recipient to indicate whether continued CalFresh benefits are desired
after the transitional benefits terminate, and if so, directing the
recipient to complete the form for an eligibility determination. If
the recipient's completed reporting form indicates that continued
benefits are desired, and that the recipient is eligible, the form
shall be considered an application for continued CalFresh benefits,
and continued CalFresh benefits shall be based upon the information
contained in the periodic report.
(c) The State Department of Social Services shall meet and consult
with advocates and the counties in implementing this section.
Notwithstanding 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 department may implement this section
through all-county letters or similar instructions from the director.
(b) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that 40 percent of
CalWORKs recipients who receive transitional CalFresh benefits under
subdivision (a) reapply to receive regular CalFresh benefits.
(2) The county welfare department shall provide each household
receiving transitional CalFresh benefits under subdivision (a) with a
notice for recertification to continue to receive regular CalFresh
benefits. The recertification notice shall specify an appointment
date and time, which shall be scheduled to occur during the last
month of receipt of transitional benefits. To the extent permitted by
federal law, the recertification process designed pursuant to this
paragraph shall be designed so as not to require recipients of
transitional CalWORKs benefits to take time off from work or travel
to the county welfare office, in order to maximize participation of
eligible households.
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.