BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 2013
Author: Senate Committee on Health and Human Services
Amended: 3/30/00
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH & HUMAN SERV. COMMITTEE : 7-0, 4/5/00
AYES: Escutia, Haynes, Figueroa, Mountjoy, Polanco, Solis,
Vasconcellos
NOT VOTING: Hughes, Morrow
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-1, 5/1/00
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Karnette, McPherson,
Perata, Vasconcellos
NOES: Kelley
NOT VOTING: Burton, Escutia, Johnson, Leslie, Mountjoy
SUBJECT : Food Stamp Program: application form
SOURCE : California Food Policy Advocates
DIGEST : This bill requires the State Department of
Social Services to develop and implement simplified and
shortened application forms for the Food Stamp Program.
ANALYSIS : California's Food Stamps Program application
is currently nine pages long.
The Food Stamp Program has:
1.An individual application for persons applying only for
the Food Stamp Program; and
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2.A combined application, with the Medi-Cal and CalWORKS
applications, for individuals applying for all of these
programs.
This bill requires the State Department of Social Services
(DSS) to simplify and shorten both application forms for
the Food Stamp Program (the stand-alone form and the Food
Stamp Program portion of the combined form).
According to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee
analysis:
The California Food Policy Advocates state that in 1998,
there were 1.3 million residents in California who actually
experienced hunger. Additionally, California's Food Stamp
Program has a very low participation rate. In fact, the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported in
1994 that California had the lowest participation rate of
any state in the continental U.S., 44 percent of the
eligible population according to the California Food Policy
Advocates, the sponsor of this bill. Moreover, California
has experienced a 36 percent drop in the number of people
receiving food stamps in recent years, according to the
bill's sponsor. The sponsor explains that although the
eligible population has decreased in this time period, the
percentage of eligible individuals actually receiving food
stamps has also decreased. Hunger and nutrition experts
are very concerned about this decreasing participation rate
in the Food Stamp Program, explaining that food stamps
could alleviate hunger in many "working poor" families.
According to the USDA, it takes five hours and at least two
trips to the welfare office to commence getting food
stamps. The sponsor of the bill believes there are several
barriers to eligible people participating in the Food Stamp
Program, and that the state should seek to eliminate all of
them. One of the barriers is the lengthy, cumbersome
application forms; California's is nine pages. This bill
seeks to address this particular barrier, by requiring the
department to develop and implement shorter, simpler forms.
The State of Texas shortened its form to a joint food
stamp, Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) application that is four pages and
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bilingual. According to federal law, "State agencies may
request assistance from [USDA's Food and Nutrition Service]
in the development of a brief, simply-written and readable
application, including application forms which cover the
Food Stamp Program and the Aid to Families with Dependent
Children Program or the Medicaid Program." California has
not yet sought this federal assistance.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2000-01 2001-02
2002-03 Fund
New form 105
General
New form 35
Federal
Caseload Unknown
Federal
According to DSS, this bill requires two temporary
positions at a cost of approximately $140,000, with half of
this paid for through the CalWORKs Program, which would be
all General Fund, and the other half through Food Stamps,
which is split 50/50 with the federal government.
DSS has already begun to meet with stakeholder groups in an
effort to simplify the Food Stamp form. To the extent that
a simplified form enables more persons to qualify for food
stamps, there would be an increase in caseload. Food
stamps are primarily paid for with federal funds.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/3/00)
California Food Policy Advocates (source)
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Western Center on Law and Poverty
California Church IMPACT
California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative
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Jericho
CP:kb 5/4/00 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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