Bill Text: CA AB1914 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Public social services: food stamp benefits.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2010-09-29 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB1914 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB1914-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 1914	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 12, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 5, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Davis

                        FEBRUARY 16, 2010

   An act to  amend Section 18914 of   add
Section 18914.1 to  the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating
to public social services.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1914, as amended, Davis. Public social services: 
emergency  food stamp benefits.
   Existing law provides for the  federal  Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), under which food stamps are
allocated to the state by the federal government and are distributed
to eligible households by each county. Existing law requires, to the
extent provided by federal law, that food stamp benefits be provided
on an expedited basis to households determined to be in immediate
need of food assistance.
   Existing law provides for the payment of unemployment compensation
benefits to eligible individuals who are unemployed through no fault
of their own. 
   This bill additionally would require expedited food stamp benefits
to be provided to persons awaiting receipt of unemployment
compensation benefits, as specified, and would require the State
Department of Social Services to seek any federal waivers necessary
to implement the bill.  
   This bill would require a county to take into consideration
unemployment compensation benefits of an applicant or recipient of
food stamp benefits for the purposes of determining eligibility and
the benefit amount only if the county obtains a specified report from
the Employment Development Department containing specified
information relating to that applicant's unemployment compensation
benefits. The bill would also require the county to provide a copy of
the report to the applicant or recipient if the county takes any
action based on the information in the report. 
   To the extent that it would increase the duties  if
  of  counties in administering the SNAP 
program  , this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 18914.1 is ad   ded to
the   Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:
 
   18914.1.  A county shall take into consideration any unemployment
compensation benefit income of an applicant or recipient under this
chapter for the purposes of determining eligibility and the amount of
benefits only if the county obtains a written report from the
Employment Development Department pursuant to Section 10606.1 showing
the exact amount of the unemployment compensation benefits and the
date that the applicant or recipient will receive the unemployment
compensation benefits. The county shall provide the applicant or
recipient with a copy of the report obtained from the department
pursuant to Section 10606.1 if the county takes any action based on
the information in the report.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 18914 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, as amended by Section 4 of Chapter 443 of the
Statutes of 1990, is amended to read:
   18914.  (a) To the extent provided by federal law, the county
welfare department shall provide food stamp benefits on an expedited
basis to both of the following:
   (1) Households determined to be in immediate need of food
assistance.
   (2) Persons awaiting receipt of unemployment compensation benefits
under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1251) of Part 1 of Division
1 of the Unemployment Insurance Code. The State Department of Social
Services shall seek any necessary waivers from the United States
Department of Agriculture to implement this paragraph.
   (b) At the time an applicant initially seeks assistance, the
county welfare department shall screen all expedited service
applications on a priority basis. Applicants who meet the federal
criteria for expedited service shall receive either a manual
authorization to participate or automated card or the immediate
issuance of food stamp coupons no later than the third day following
the date the application was filed. To the maximum extent permitted
by federal law, the amount of income to be received from any source
shall be deemed to be uncertain and exempt from consideration in the
determination of eligibility for expedited service. For purposes of
this subdivision, a weekend shall be considered one calendar day.
   (c) The State Department of Social Services shall develop and
implement for expedited issuance a uniform procedure for verifying
information required of an applicant. 
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.
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