Bill Text: CA AB1173 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: CalWORKs: fraud prevention and reduction.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-01 - Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution. From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1173 Detail]
Download: California-2011-AB1173-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1173 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 4, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Huber
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
An act to add and repeal Article 10 (commencing with Section
11550) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1173, as amended, Huber. Preventing welfare fraud:
county pilot program. CalWORKs: fraud prevention and
reduction.
Existing law establishes various social service programs that
provide cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income
families and individuals. Existing law establishes criminal
penalties, including the imposition of specified fines, for violation
of certain provisions relating to, among other offenses, willfully
and knowingly making a false statement or failing to disclose a
material fact in order to obtain designated public social services.
Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds
through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
program under which, through a combination of state and county funds
and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county
provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income
families. Existing law authorizes counties to implement state-funded
early fraud detection and prevention programs as a component of
administering the CalWORKs program, under specified circumstances.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to
enact legislation to establish a pilot program until
January 1, 2018, that would reimburse a county for the
operation of a county program that prevents or reduces welfare fraud,
provided that the county demonstrates the program produces a savings
to the state that exceeds the cost of the operation of the program
by an unspecified percentage. The bill would require these
programs to satisfy the criteria for early fraud prevention and
detection programs authorized under the above existing law. The bill
would require the State Department of Social Services to administer
the program, and to conduct a statewide evaluation of the
effectiveness of the program, as specified. Implementation of the
bill would be contingent on an appropriation in the annual Budget Act
.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Article 10 (commencing with Section
11550) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code , to read:
Article 10. County Reimbursement for CalWORKs Fraud Prevention
and Reduction
11550. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
article to establish a pilot program to provide grants to reimburse
counties for operating programs to reduce or prevent CalWORKs fraud,
provided that the county demonstrates that its program produces a
savings to the state that exceeds the costs of the program, as
required under this article.
11551. (a) The State Department of Social Services shall
administer this article and award grants pursuant to the application
process provided for in this section.
(b) Grants shall be awarded to existing and new county-based fraud
reduction or prevention programs that satisfy the requirements of
this article.
(c) In order to qualify for a grant under this article, the
county-based program shall satisfy the requirements of subdivision
(d) of Section 11055.5.
(d) In order to qualify for a grant under this article, a county
shall submit an application, on a form provided by the department,
that includes, at a minimum, the following information for the fiscal
year for which reimbursement is sought:
(1) A description of the program and its operation.
(2) The amount expended by the county to operate the program.
(3) The amount of savings realized as a result of the program.
(4) Any records, documentation, or other information necessary for
the department to substantiate the amounts identified in paragraphs
(2) and (3).
(e) The department shall only award a grant to reimburse an
applicant county if the amount identified by the county in paragraph
(3) of subdivision (d) constitutes a savings of at least __ percent.
11552. (a) The department shall conduct a statewide independent
evaluation of the grant program, assessing the program's
effectiveness in reducing and preventing CalWORKs fraud.
Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the
department shall report the findings from its evaluation to the
Legislature, within six months after the completion of each grant
cycle. The evaluation shall be performed only when for this purpose
funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
(b) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
11553. The department's costs for administration of the grant
program established pursuant to this article shall not exceed 5
percent of the total appropriation for the program. The Legislature
shall be notified of the administrative costs of the program.
11554. This article shall be implemented only to the extent that
funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act for purposes of this
article.
11555. This article shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2018, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends
that date.
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation to establish a pilot program that would
reimburse a county for the operation of a county program that
prevents or reduces welfare fraud, provided that the county
demonstrates the program produces a savings to the state that exceeds
the cost of the operation of the program.
