Bill Text: CA AB2099 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Safe drinking water benefit.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From Senate committee without further action. [AB2099 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB2099-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 2099 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 16, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mark Stone
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gonzalez)
FEBRUARY 17, 2016
An act to add and repeal Chapter 16 (commencing with Section
18997) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2099, as amended, Mark Stone. Safe drinking water benefit.
Existing law provides for financial and food assistance benefits
to needy Californians, including, among other programs, the
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
program and CalFresh, under which each county provides for financial
and food assistance benefits to qualified individuals who meet
specified eligibility criteria. Existing law, administered by the
State Department of Social Services, provides for the establishment
of a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system for the
purpose of providing those financial and food assistance benefits.
Existing law authorizes a county to deliver CalFresh benefits and,
upon election by the county, CalWORKs benefits through the use of an
EBT system.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services
to, on or before February 1, 2017, convene a workgroup to develop
recommendations for delivering a water benefit to supplement the
purchase of drinking water for low-income households with inadequate
access to safe drinking water, as specified. The bill would require
the workgroup to consist of representatives from specified entities,
including the Department of Water Resources, the Office of Emergency
Services, and applicable community advocates, and would require the
workgroup to develop recommendations that include, among other
things, an implementation plan for identification of eligible
households and delivery of the benefit to those households. The bill
would require the State Department of Social Services to, on or
before July 1, 2017, submit a report with the recommendations to the
Legislature and the California Health and Human Services Agency. The
bill would also make relating findings and declarations.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) The electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system has operated
statewide in California since 2004 as an effective and efficient
method to issue government benefits to recipients.
(b) Research has shown that the use of EBT has many advantages for
delivering public benefits. For recipients, EBT offers greater
convenience, improved security, and reduced stigmatization. For state
governments, EBT provides cost and time savings, improves
operational efficiencies, and promotes accountability while
stimulating local economies.
(c) EBT has been deemed an effective and responsive mechanism for
quickly delivering assistance to people recovering from natural
disasters.
(d) The Legislature and the Governor established The Human Right
to Water in 2013, which established the policy of California that
every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and
accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and
sanitary purposes.
(e) Despite a history of proactive water policies, California
residents still face formidable challenges as the drought continues
to exacerbate water quality issues for disadvantaged communities who
disproportionately bear the health and financial impacts of
inadequate access to safe water.
(f) Significant barriers to water access exist for marginalized
Californians who are forced to choose between drinking water and
expending scarce resources to pay for clean water.
(g) In 2014, more than 1 million Californians faced water safety
violations that made water unsafe to drink.
(h) As the drought enters its fifth year, more than 2,000 domestic
wells have gone dry in the Central Valley, affecting tens of
thousands of people. Many small communities face chronic water
quality problems. Almost 400 small rural water systems and schools
are unable to provide safe drinking water.
(i) In response to these challenges, the Governor and the
Legislature have established or proposed new emergency drinking water
supports to assist these households.
(j) Recognizing this, it is the intent of the Legislature
to utilize the existing EBT system to deliver appropriate
emergency water benefits to disadvantaged households in an efficient
and effective manner. manner and, to the
extent possible, to utilize the EBT system to accomplish this goal.
SEC. 2. Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 18997) is added to
Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER 16. SAFE DRINKING WATER BENEFIT
18997. (a) On or before February 1, 2017, the State Department of
Social Services shall convene a workgroup to develop recommendations
for delivering a water benefit to supplement the purchase of
drinking water for low-income households with inadequate access to
safe drinking water.
(b) The water benefit to be developed shall do all of the
following:
(1) Be made available to low-income households with inadequate
access to safe drinking water.
(2) To the extent possible, be provided through the electronic
benefits transfer system.
(3) To the extent possible, be funded from existing emergency
drought response resources allocated for interim water assistance.
(c) The workgroup shall consist of representatives from all of the
following entities:
(1) The State Department of Social Services.
(2) The State Water Resources Control Board.
(3) The Department of Water Resources.
(4) The Office of Emergency Services.
(5) The County Welfare Directors Association of California.
(6) Food policy advocates.
(7) Other applicable community advocates.
(d) The workgroup shall develop recommendations that include all
of the following:
(1) The design of the benefit.
(2) An implementation plan for identification of eligible
households and delivery of the benefit to those households. In
developing eligibility criteria, the workgroup shall consider all of
the following populations:
(A) Households in disadvantaged communities served by noncompliant
small community water systems, as defined in Section 116275 of the
Health and Safety Code.
(B) Households located in communities deemed eligible for interim
emergency drinking water benefits by the State Water Resources
Control Board.
(C) Households with private wells that have active outages or
water supply problems.
(3) Possibilities for interim or permanent adoption and
implementation of the benefit through regulations, all-county
letters, or similar instruction.
(e) (1) The State Department of Social Services shall submit a
report with the recommendations to the Legislature and the California
Health and Human Services Agency by July 1, 2017.
(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph
(1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code.
18998. This chapter shall become inoperative on July 1, 2021,
and, as of January 1, 2022, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2022, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.
