California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2311

Introduced by Assembly Member Bradford

February 21, 2014

An act to amend Section 17001.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2311, as introduced, Bradford. General assistance: employable veterans.

Existing law requires each county to provide aid to its indigent residents not supported by other means. These county programs are known as general assistance programs.

Existing law permits a county to prohibit an employable individual from receiving general assistance benefits for more than 3 months in any 12-month period, whether or not the months are consecutive, if he or she has been offered an opportunity to attend job skills or job training sessions.

This bill would provide that the prohibition shall not apply to an employable veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed forces. By expanding eligibility for general assistance programs, 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.  

This act shall be known and may be cited as the
General Assistance “Thank You For Your Service” Act of 2014.

SEC. 2.  

Section 17001.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
is amended to read:

17001.5.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other begin delete provision of end delete law,
including, but not limited to, Section 17000.5, the board of
supervisors of each county, or the agency authorized by the county
charter, may do any of the following:

(1) (A) Adopt residency requirements for purposes of
determining a persons’ eligibility for general assistance. Any
residence requirement under this paragraph shall not exceed 15
days.

(B) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to authorize
the adoption of a requirement that an applicant or recipient have
an address or to require a homeless person to acquire an address.

(2) (A) Establish a standard of general assistance for applicants
and recipients who share housing with one or more unrelated
persons or with one or more persons who are not legally
responsible for the applicant or recipient. The standard of general
assistance aid established pursuant to Section 17000.5 for a single
adult applicant or recipient may be reduced pursuant to this
paragraph by not more than the following percentages, as
appropriate:

(i) Fifteen percent if the applicant or recipient shares housing
with one other person described in this subparagraph.

(ii) Twenty percent if the applicant or recipient shares housing
with two other persons described in this subparagraph.

(iii) Twenty-five percent if the applicant or recipient shares
housing with three or more other persons described in this
paragraph.

(B) Any standard of aid adopted pursuant to this paragraph shall
constitute a sufficient standard of aid for any recipient who shares
housing.

(C) Counties with shared housing reductions larger than the
amounts specified in subparagraph (A) as of August 19, 1992, may
continue to apply those adjustments.

(3) Discontinue aid under this part for a period of not more than
180 days with respect to any recipient who is employable and has
received aid under this part for three months if the recipient engages
in any of the following conduct:

(A) Fails, or refuses, without good cause, to participate in a
qualified job training program, participation of which is a condition
of receipt of assistance.

(B) After completion of a job training program, fails, or refuses,
without good cause, to accept an offer of appropriate employment.

(C) Persistently fails, or refuses, without good cause, to
cooperate with the county in its efforts to do any of the following:

(i) Enroll the recipient in a job training program.

(ii) After completion of a job training program, locate and secure
appropriate employment for the recipient.

(D) For purposes of this paragraph, lack of good cause may be
demonstrated by a showing of any of the following:

(i) The willful failure, or refusal, of the recipient to participate
in a job training program, accept appropriate employment, or
cooperate in enrolling in a training program or locating
employment.

(ii) Not less than three separate acts of negligent failure of the
recipient to engage in any of the activities described in clause (i).

(4) Prohibit an employable begin delete individual end delete begin insert individual, other than an
employable veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed
forces, end insert from receiving aid under this part for more than three
months in any 12-month period, whether or not the months are
consecutive. This paragraph shall apply to aid received on or after
the effective date of this paragraph. This paragraph shall apply
only to those individuals who have been offered an opportunity to
attend job skills or job training sessions.

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), discontinue aid to, or
sanction, recipients for failure or refusal without good cause to
follow program requirements. For purposes of this subdivision,
lack of good cause may be demonstrated by a showing of either
(A) willful failure or refusal of the recipient to follow program
requirements, or (B) not less than three separate acts of negligent
failure of the recipient to follow program requirements.

(b) (1) The Legislative Analyst shall conduct an evaluation of
the impact of this section on general assistance recipients and
applicants.

(2) The evaluation required by paragraph (1) shall include, but
need not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) The impact on the extent of homelessness among applicants
and recipients of general assistance.

(B) The rate at which recipients of general assistance are
sanctioned by county welfare departments.

(C) The impact of the 15-day residency requirement on
applicants or recipients of general assistance, including how often
the requirement is invoked.

(3) The Legislative Analyst shall, in the conduct of the study
required by this section, consult with the State Department of
Social Services, the County Welfare Directors Association, and
organizations that advocate on behalf of recipients of general
assistance.

(c) A county may provide aid pursuant to Section 17000.5 either
by cash assistance, in-kind aid, a two-party payment, voucher
payment, or check drawn to the order of a third-party provider of
services to the recipient. Nothing shall restrict a county from
providing more than one method of aid to an individual recipient.

SEC. 3.  

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.