BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1970
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 25, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1970 (Skinner) - As Amended: April 19, 2012
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:4 - 2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill establishes guidelines and client protections for
possible upcoming automation changes to the CalWORKs and
CalFresh programs as a result of the California Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to seek a
federal waiver allowing counties to deliver all CalFresh
notices and communications electronically, utilizing the
California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention
System (CalHEERs) developed pursuant to the California Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act.
2)Prohibits county welfare departments from providing electronic
notices unless an applicant or recipient submits a request in
writing to receive notices electronically.
3)Prohibits a county from requiring an applicant or recipient to
provide verification of information unless it is federally
required, necessary to determine eligibility for aid, and not
already available to the eligibility worker.
4)Allows all application and recertification interviews to be
conducted in person, by telephone, or through other electronic
means.
5)Requires counties to notify applicants and recipients that
they may conduct interviews through electronic means, if those
options are available.
6)Requires expedited service interviews be postponed and
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conducted at the same time as a regular CalFresh interview if
there is no evidence to indicate an applicant is ineligible
for expedited benefits.
7)Requires DSS to post all final state plans and approved
waivers on the department's website.
8)Reduces the participation requirements for an adult with a
child under six years old to 20 hours per week in a federally
eligible welfare-to-work activity, rather than the currently
required 32 to 35 hours.
FISCAL EFFECT
Costs associated with this legislation should be minor and
absorbable within existing DSS resources. Current updates to the
Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) include the capacity
to deliver notices electronically. It is expected that CalHEERs
will include the capability to determine eligibility for the
CalFresh program. Therefore, all automation changes are
underway. In addition, this legislation primarily authorizes
counties to deliver notices electronically and establishes
client protections should they choose to do so. It does not
require counties to provide electronic notices.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . This bill is intended to make several changes to
the administration of social services program that would
improve services to the consumers and make the programs more
efficient. Among other things, this bill limitS verification
requirements to items required by federal law, reducing the
paperwork that customers must provide prior to enrollment.
Consistent with federal law, this bill permits electronic
transmission of certain notices of action between county human
services departments and consumers. This bill also seeks to
establish alternatives to in-person interviews for
applications and redeterminations at the option of the
applicant or recipient. It also ensures transparency by
making copies of any state plan submitted by the Health and
Human Services Agency available to the public.
The author notes that these modernization changes will
streamline human services programs for recipients and
counties, and allow counties to take advantage of efficiencies
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made possible by advancements in technology. This bill also
provides privacy protections, limiting use of an applicant's
or recipient's electronic information for any purpose other
than communicating with the applicant or recipient.
In support of this bill, Legal Services of Northern California
states "it is imperative to take advantage of technological
advances to allow for a more effective and efficient means of
establishing public benefits eligibility. It will also
prevent 'churning' (reapplication after procedural denials)
and the harm to families who otherwise can go hungry and
homeless."
2)Opposition : The California District Attorneys Association
(CDAA) opposes this bill, asserting that allowing application
and recertification interviews for certain public benefits to
be conducted via telephone or other electronic means invites
more fraud into these systems.
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081