BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2311
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Mark Stone, Chair
AB 2311 (Bradford) - As Introduced: February 21, 2014
SUBJECT : General assistance: employable veterans
SUMMARY : Enacts the General Assistance "Thank You for Your
Service" Act of 2014.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Excludes employable veterans who were honorably discharged
from the armed forces from the prohibition on providing
general assistance/general relief (GA/GR) for more than three
months in a 12-month period to individuals who have been
offered an opportunity to attend job skills or job training
sessions.
EXISTING LAW
1)Requires every city and county to provide relief and support
to all residents who are indigent, incapacitated by age,
disease, or accident, and not supported and relieved by their
relatives or friends, by their own means, or by state
hospitals or other state or private institutions. (WIC 17000)
2)Authorizes the board of supervisors in any county to adopt a
general relief standard of aid, including in-kind benefits, as
specified. (WIC 17000.5)
3)Authorizes the board of supervisors of each county, or the
agency authorized by the county charter to establish
eligibility standards for general assistance provided to
indigent and dependent poor individuals living in the county,
including the ability to prohibit an employable individual
from receiving general assistance for more than three months
in any 12-month period, as specified, if the individual has
been offered an opportunity to attend job skills or job
training sessions. (WIC 17001.5 (a)(4))
4)Authorizes a county board of supervisors to require a
recipient to repay the amount of general relief provided as a
condition of receiving or continuing to receive a grant, as
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specified. (WIC 17109)
5)Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to publicize
information pertaining to benefit programs that are available
to qualified homeless veterans, including the CalFresh
program. (MVC 711)
6)Authorizes county boards of supervisors to grant financial
assistance, relief, and support to indigent veterans through
military, naval or marine organizations created for the
purpose of aiding veterans, as specified. (MVC 921)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : This bill seeks to provide necessary support to
honorably discharged veterans who are in need of general relief
benefits and do not have access to other resources or benefits
to help them support themselves.
General Assistance/General Relief (GA/GR) : Counties provide
general relief, also called general assistance, to needy county
residents who are not able to support themselves and do not have
access to a sufficient amount of support from other programs or
resources, or assistance from family or friends. Each county's
GA/GR program is 100% county-funded, allowing counties to set
their own benefit levels and eligibility requirements. Many
recipients of GA/GR are also eligible for nutrition assistance
through the CalFresh program, and some counties require GA/GR
applicants to seek aid through CalFresh and other applicable
safety net programs as a condition of receiving GA/GR benefits.
According to the Department of Social Services, there were
148,385 individuals across the state receiving general relief
benefits in February 2014. The average monthly benefit per
person in February was $221.46, but the benefit amount and the
way in which the benefit is delivered is varied throughout the
state. Some counties provide either cash grants or in-kind
grants (e.g., direct payments for housing, utilities, or medical
expenses), or some mix of both. Counties establish their own
maximum GA/GR grant amounts, often with different benefit levels
for individuals and couples. For example, Kern county reports
having 126 open cases, with a $315 benefit for a single
individual and a $515 benefit for a couple, whereas Monterey
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county reports having 597 open cases, with a slightly lower
maximum grant amount for an individual of $302. While current
law is permissive and does not require individuals to repay the
GA/GR benefits they have received, most counties require
applicants to sign repayment agreements as a condition of
receiving aid, the fulfillment of which likely depends on
whether the aided individual eventually receives an income or
obtains property.
Veterans in California : According to September 2013 estimates
from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, California is home
to nearly 1.8 million veterans; 8% of the national veteran
population of approximately 22 million. The state's veteran
population is comprised of 90% men and 10% women.
Men and women veterans returning to California face a number of
barriers to employment, including mental health challenges and
other difficulties transitioning back into civilian life. Point
in time data from the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development revealed that on a single night in 2013, there were
15,179 homeless veterans in California. It is important to note
that this number only captures those individuals surveyed, and
the actual number of veterans who experienced homelessness
throughout the year is likely greater. Additionally, according
to a CalVet housing fact sheet, whereas homelessness for Vietnam
veterans was expected to occur within 13 years of returning
home, veterans from more recent wars are experiencing
homelessness or near-homelessness within three years of their
transition from active duty status.
Need for this bill : Although the state's economy is improving,
many people are still finding it difficult to obtain and
maintain employment. After exhausting any savings, unemployment
compensation, or other benefits they might be able to access,
many individuals reach out to their county offices as a last
resort for assistance to remain housed and fed while they
continue to seek employment. While current law allows, but does
not require, counties to adhere to a time limit for the
provision of county general assistance, people who happen to
live in counties that do implement a time limit may not be
provided this minimal assistance for a long enough period of
time to get back on their feet and find jobs. This bill
excludes veterans who are honorably discharged from any GA/GR
time limits a county might place on employable individuals who
have been offered an opportunity to attend job skills or job
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training sessions.
In support of this bill, the Western Center on Law and Poverty
(WCLP) writes:
"Without adequate responses to the real and persistent barriers
to health and self-sufficiency experienced by veterans, it is
incumbent upon us to make sure that we are not depriving them of
basic needs. [This bill] offers a modest step to secure support
for out-of-work veterans, giving them time to best utilize
federally funded job training and placement support programs at
the County Veteran Service Offices (CVSOs) which are uniquely
tailored to veterans and possibly identify underlying causes of
long-term unemployment. Minimally, [this bill] minimizes their
exposure to inhumane conditions."
PRIOR LEGISLATION
SB 134 (Hueso), Chapter 283, Statutes of 2013 exempted honorably
discharged veterans from mandatory participation in CalFresh
Employment and Training programs in participating counties.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
AARP
Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations, Inc.
East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC)
National Association of Social Workers, CA Chapter (NASW-CA)
Public Interest Law Project (PILP)
River City Food Bank
Sacramento Housing Alliance
Western Center on Law and Poverty
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Myesha Jackson / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
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