BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2345
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 14, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 2345 (Gonzalez) - As Amended: April 23, 2014
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:5 - 1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill expands access to California Work Opportunity and
Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) and the California Food
Assistance Program (CFAP) to all otherwise eligible, lawfully
present immigrants.
FISCAL EFFECT
Unknown GF costs, likely in the millions of dollars to the
Department of Social Services for automation and benefits. For
example, if 200 additional families received a $400 per month
benefit, the on-going cost for benefits would be approximately
$1 million.
DSS notes the federal government does not permit the use of
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to deliver benefits to
this population. DSS would need to create another card or an
alternative delivery system for the benefits.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . The author notes California has the highest poverty
rate in the nation, 23.8%, and is home to the largest
immigrant population in the country, about 27% of the state
population. The economic downturn has had long-lasting effects
on workers' wages, hunger, and food insecurity in California.
The intent of this bill is to ensure the well-being of
eligible noncitizen immigrants who are lawfully present in the
United States, but are ineligible for federally-funded
AB 2345
Page 2
benefits within their first five years in the country.
2)CalWorks . The CalWORKs program provides monthly income
assistance and employment-related services aimed at moving
children out of poverty and helping families meet basic needs.
CalWORKs cash aid and services are provided to low-income
families with children and needy caretaker relatives of
children in the foster care system. According to recent data
from the California Department of Social Services, 554,292
families rely on CalWORKs, including over one million
children. The average cash grant for a family of three is
$463/mo.
Under CalWORKs, eligibility standards for lawfully present
immigrants include, but are not limited to, lawful permanent
residents, refugees, asylees, and survivors of domestic
violence or trafficking who meet specific visa criteria. This
bill seeks to expand eligibility for CalWORKs and CFAP by
including legal noncitizens who are, for example, lawfully
present and under Temporary Protected Status or qualify under
Deferred Action, including Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals recipients.
3)California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) . In 1996, federal
welfare reform legislation restricted aid for immigrants
entering the United States after August 22, 1996. In response,
CFAP was established in 1997 to provide state-funded nutrition
benefits to legally present immigrants who lost federal
eligibility under the Act. Income and other eligibility
requirements for CFAP are aligned with CalFresh requirements.
CFAP provides a nutrition benefit to needy households that are
ineligible for CalFresh benefits solely because they do not
meet the five-year residency requirement for federal
eligibility. State dollars are used to provide aid to families
not eligible for federal funding solely due to residency
requirements.
AB 2345
Page 3
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081