BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1640|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1640
Author: Mitchell (D), et al.
Amended: 8/21/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 4-1, 7/2/12
AYES: Liu, Hancock, Wright, Yee
NOES: Berryhill
NO VOTE RECORDED: Emmerson, Strickland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 8/16/12
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Dutton
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 50-24, 5/31/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : CalWORKs benefits: pregnant mothers
SOURCE : California Black Womens Health Project
Western Center on Law and Poverty
DIGEST : This bill requires California Work Opportunity
and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) aid to be paid to a
pregnant mother who is 18 years of age or younger at any
time after verification of pregnancy, regardless of whether
she is eligible for the Cal-Learn program.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
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1. Establishes, under federal law, the Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) program, providing block
grants to eligible states as part of a welfare-to-work
program for qualified low-income families.
2. Establishes, under state law, the CalWORKs program,
which is funded through a combination of state and
county funds and federal funds received through the TANF
program, to provide eligible low-income families cash
assistance and employment services. (Welfare and
Institutions Code (WIC) Section 11200 et seq.)
3. Requires payment of CalWORKs aid to a pregnant mother in
a family without a needy child qualified for aid for the
month in which the birth is anticipated and for the
three-month period immediately prior to the month in
which the birth is anticipated. (WIC Section 11450 (b))
4. Establishes the Cal-Learn program to provide intensive
case management, support services, a comprehensive range
of health and social services and other services to
teenagers under age 19 without a high school diploma or
equivalent, who are pregnant or parenting. (WIC Section
11331)
5. Requires that teens, in order to qualify for aid under
Cal-Learn, participate in school on a full-time basis
until earning her high school diploma or its equivalent,
as specified. (WIC Section 11331.5)
6. Requires payment of CalWORKs aid to a pregnant mother
without other children upon verification of pregnancy if
the pregnant teen also is eligible for the Cal-Learn
program. (WIC Section 11450 (b)(1))
7. Requires that CalWORKs aid be paid to eligible pregnant
teens pursuant to this section only when the Cal-Learn
program is operative. (WIC Section 11450 (b)(2))
This bill requires CalWORKs aid to be paid to a pregnant
mother who is 18 years of age or younger at any time after
verification of pregnancy, regardless of whether she is
eligible for the Cal-Learn program.
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Background
1. Effect of Poverty on Pregnancy
Various research reports have suggested a correlation
between poverty and low birth weights and between
poverty and psychological stress.
A 2008 study published in Health Psychology additionally
showed correlations between the psychological state of a
pregnant mother and the health of the fetus. Mothers
experiencing a high amount of stress during pregnancy
deliver their infants earlier and at lower birth
weights. Children who are born too early and who weigh
less at birth are at a higher risk for "infant
mortality, infant morbidity, and health problems that
may persist into childhood, adolescence and adulthood."
The study also found that pregnancy-specific stress -
related to concern about the pregnancy and associated
life changes - is an even more powerful contributor to
birth outcomes than general stress.
Resilience among children in difficult environments was
shown to be improved with parental management and
support skills, according to a 1997 study. The study
found that exposure to stress can have detrimental
effects on children and adolescents, but that a child's
resilience can mitigate some of those effects. It found
that prenatal and primary care can further moderate the
effects of stress. Long-term stressors include
deprivation, abuse, and poverty.
According to researchers at Brown University, large
developmental delays and limitations in function were
common among children with very low birth weights. The
study, published in the journal, Clinics in Perinatology
in 2002, found that minority status and living in a
household headed by a single mother further worsen the
disadvantages associated with a very low birth weight
and that that TANF eligibility requirements may increase
difficulty in obtaining prenatal and other medical
services for mothers and children in need.
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2. California's Teen Pregnancy Rate
Teen pregnancies have fallen to their lowest rate since
1991, according to the Department of Public Health. In
2010, there were 29 births for every 1,000 females aged
15-19. This was a drop from a rate of 32.1 births in
2009 and from a record high rate of 70.9 births in 1991.
Nationally, in 2010, California ranked 22nd among all
states in birth rates among teens aged 15-19, and was
below the national average, according to data compiled
by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
3. Other States
In its "Welfare Rules Databook: State TANF Policies as
of July 2010," the Urban Institute compares state
policies on providing welfare-to-work benefits to
pregnant women with no other children. Of 31 states
that provide benefits to this population, 20 provided
benefits earlier than California's third trimester
policy and eight states, including New York and
Illinois, provide benefits as early as the first month
of pregnancy.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
First-year CalWORKs grant, services, and administrative
costs of $0.9 million (TANF/General Fund) in 2012-13;
ongoing costs of up to $3.0 million for approximately
260 pregnant teens per month to receive three additional
months of benefits, assuming the Cal-Learn program is
operative.
In the event the Cal-Learn program is suspended again
at some point in the future, the Department of Social
Services would incur major ongoing costs, potentially in
the tens of millions of dollars (TANF/GF) to provide an
additional three months of CalWORKs benefits to over
9,000 pregnant teens per month that would not have been
provided under existing law, as benefits from the point
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of pregnancy verification are currently conditioned upon
the operation of the Cal-Learn program.
Potential minor increase in Medi-Cal costs
(Federal/General Fund) by expanding eligibility to
full-scope Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal managed care enrollment
to specified pregnant teens. Potential one-time
automation costs for MEDS programming to establish
earlier eligibility for a subset of pregnant women in
the Medi-Cal 1931(b) Program.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/21/12)
California Black Women's Health Project (co-source)
Western Center on Law and Poverty (co-source)
AFSCME
California Association of Food Banks
California Catholic Conference, Inc.
California Communities United Institute
California Food Policy Advocates
California Hunger Action Coalition
California State Association of Counties
California Welfare Directors Association
California WIC Association
Catholic Charities of California United
Children Now
Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations, Inc.
East Bay Community Law Center
Laborers' Local 777
Laborers' Local 792
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
National Association of Social Workers
National Health Law Program
Public Counsel Law Center
San Diego Hunger Coalition
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
St. Anthony's Foundation
United Ways of California
Zero to Three
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/21/12)
Department of Finance (prior version)
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ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the Western Center on
Law and Poverty (WCLP), this bill's co-sponsor,
California's comprehensive approach to pregnancy prevention
among teens has put California in the forefront of reducing
teen pregnancy. WCLP states, "Still, in 2009, nearly
48,000 babies were born to teen moms, some of whom came
from low-income homes. Teen moms who are poor and lack
parental support should not have to wait until their third
trimester to get basic needs grants to prevent hunger and
homelessness and the support services to help them succeed
despite the challenges of being a young mother. ? AB 1640
establishes a very modest baseline of support for a very
vulnerable population."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Department of Finance (DOF)
in April issued a letter of opposition to this bill, noting
that this bill expands cash aid to a number of pregnant
women. Since then, this bill has been substantially
amended to remove a requirement to provide aid for adult
pregnant women upon verification of pregnancy. DOF notes
that the April letter is out-of-date, but does not have an
updated position on this bill.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 50-24, 5/31/12
AYES: Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Butler, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis,
Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani,
Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Cook, Donnelly,
Beth Gaines, Garrick, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Halderman,
Harkey, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Miller, Morrell,
Nestande, Nielsen, Olsen, Silva, Smyth, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Charles Calderon, Fletcher, Mansoor,
Mendoza, Norby, Valadao
CTW:k 8/21/12 Senate Floor Analyses
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SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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