BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 2013
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 13, 2000

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES 
                                 Dion Aroner, Chair
                    SB 2013 (Escutia) - As Amended:  June 6, 2000

           SENATE VOTE  :   38-1
           
          SUBJECT  :  Food stamp program application form.

           SUMMARY  :  This bill would require the food stamp application  
          form to be simplified and shortened.  Specifically,  this bill  :    


          1)Requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to obtain  
            necessary federal approvals and work with relevant  
            stakeholders to develop and implement a simpler, shorter  
            application form for recipients of food stamps by July 1,  
            2001.  

          1)Requires the simplified form to be evaluated for use in  
            multi-program application forms for the Food Stamp, Medi-Cal,  
            and CalWORKs programs.

          1)Prohibits DSS from requiring counties to implement use of the  
            simplified form before the statewide automated welfare system  
            has been programmed to include the new form and accompanying  
            intake process.

          1)Requires DSS to report to the Legislature by July 1, 2001, on  
            its progress in implementing the simplified form.
           
          EXISTING LAW  

          1)Establishes the federal food stamp program under federal law  
            and requires DSS to establish a program for issuing food  
            stamps to eligible, low-income individuals in all counties.

          1)Requires the state to pay 70% of the non-federal costs of  
            administering the Food Stamp Program (FSP) and requires  
            counties to pay the remaining share of non-federal costs.

          1)Establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the state,  
            to provide health care to needy individuals.  Requires  
            counties to determine eligibility for the program.








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          1)Establishes the CalWORKs program, administered by counties, to  
            provide income support and welfare-to-work services to needy  
            families.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, implementation of this bill would cost approximately  
          $140,000:  $105,000 from the General Fund and $35,00 federal  
          funds.












































                                                                  SB 2013
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           COMMENTS  :   

          1)According to California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA), the  
            sponsor of this bill, California has historically had one of  
            the lowest FSP rates in the country.  According to CFPA, the  
            U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that  
            California's 57% participation rate in 1994 was the second  
            lowest in the country.  More recent studies completed by CFPA  
            indicate that only 52% of eligible, non-immigrant Californians  
            received food stamps in 1998.  Supporters suggest that the FSP  
            has contributed significantly to the reduction of hunger in  
            the United States.

          1)The FSP application form is currently nine pages long.   
            Various entities, including county agencies, have conducted  
            surveys indicating that "too much paperwork" and  
            "administrative hassles" are the primary reasons that eligible  
            persons fail to apply (e.g., Santa Clara County, 1999 Safety  
            Net Project).  According to CFPA, the USDA conducted research  
            revealing that individuals must spend five hours and make at  
            least two trips to the welfare office to complete the FSP  
            application process.

          1)Supporters argue that California is behind other states in  
            simplifying the FSP application form.  For example, Texas uses  
            a four-page, bilingual application form, and Tennessee uses a  
            two-page form for the food stamp program, TANF, and Medicaid.   
            This allows basic intake information to be gathered, while  
            supplemental information can be gathered during the required  
            face-to-face interview.

          1)DSS has begun to meet with stakeholder groups to identify  
            methods for simplifying the FPS application form.  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support  

          California Food Policy Advocates (Sponsor)
          California Catholic Conference
          California Church IMPACT
          California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative
          County of Santa Clara, Board of Supervisors
          Jericho
          Western Center on Law & Poverty








                                                                  SB 2013
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          Opposition  

          None on file.

           Analysis Prepared by  :  Kirsten Deichert/ HUM. S. / (916)  
          319-2247