BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2311
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2311 (Bradford)
As Amended May 23, 2014
Majority vote
HUMAN SERVICES 4-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Stone, Ammiano, Ian |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Calderon, Garcia | |Bradford, |
| | | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Enacts the General Assistance "Thank You for Your
Service" Act of 2014.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Beginning July 1, 2015, excludes employable veterans who were
honorably discharged from the Armed Forces from the county
option to limit the provision of general assistance/general
relief (GA/GR) to only three months in a 12-month period for
individuals who have been offered an opportunity to attend job
skills or job training sessions.
2)Authorizes a county to continue to apply the three-month GA/GR
limitation on any employable individual, including veterans
who were honorably discharged from the Armed Forces, provided
that the board of supervisors of the county enacts an
ordinance providing that any employable individual is subject
to the limitation.
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. (Welfare
and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 17000)
AB 2311
Page 2
2)Authorizes the board of supervisors in any county to adopt a
general relief standard of aid, including in-kind benefits, as
specified. (WIC Section 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 Section 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
specified. (WIC Section 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. (Military and Veterans Code (MVC) Section 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 Section 921)
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
Should the Commission on State Mandates determine that this bill
contains a reimbursable cost, there would be unknown, but
potentially significant costs to the General Fund to reimburse
counties for providing additional GA to veterans. For example,
if between one-tenth and one-quarter of homeless veterans
receive GA and half live in counties that already grant the
extension (counties are not required to adhere to a time limit
for providing general assistance and many do not), approximately
750 to 1,875 veterans would receive additional benefit. If each
AB 2311
Page 3
receives GA for an additional nine months, the added statewide
cost would be in the range of $1 million to $3.7 million.
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 vary 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
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.
Homeless veterans in California: According to September 2013
estimates from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
California is home to nearly 1.8 million veterans; 8% of the
AB 2311
Page 4
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 United States
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 California
Department of Veterans Affairs 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.
Analysis Prepared by : Myesha Jackson / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
FN: 0003834