Bill Text: CA AB283 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: CalWORKs: school attendance: immunizations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-21 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB283 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB283-Amended.html
NOYES
SEC. 3. Section 11265.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. 30 60 days of the determination of eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000), and 45 60 days for applicants already eligible for benefits under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000), and all recipients of aid under this chapter within 45
60 days of a full or financial redetermination of eligibility for aid under this chapter, shall provide documentation that all children in the assistance unit not required to be enrolled in school have received all age appropriate immunizations, unless it has been medically determined that an immunization for a child is not appropriate or the applicant or recipient has filed with the county welfare department an affidavit that the immunizations are contrary to the applicant’s or
recipient’s beliefs. appropriate. If the county determines that good cause exists for not providing the required documentation due to lack of reasonable access to immunization services, the period shall be extended by an additional 30 60 days. A circumstance that shall constitute good cause includes, but is not limited to, the applicant or recipient does not have reasonable access to immunization services due to a situation of domestic violence. If the documentation is not provided within the required time period, the needs of all parents or caretaker relatives in the assistance unit shall not be considered in determining
fifty dollars ($50) per month may be withheld from the grant to the assistance unit under Section 11450 until the required documentation is provided. provided, regardless of the size of the family. The department shall track and maintain information concerning the number of sanctions imposed under this section.
Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the State Department of Social Services shall implement this act through an all-county letter or similar instruction. The all-county letter or similar instruction shall be issued by July 1, 2020.
No appropriation pursuant to Section 15200 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of implementing this act.
Bill Title: CalWORKs: school attendance: immunizations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-21 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB283 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB283-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 20, 2019 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 283 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Chu |
January 28, 2019 |
An act to repeal Sections 11253.5 and 11265.8 of amend Section 11265.8 of, and to repeal and add Section 11253.5 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalWORKs.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 283, as amended, Chu.
CalWORKs: immunizations: truancy. school attendance: immunizations.
Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant program, state, and county funds.
Under existing law, all applicants for or recipients of CalWORKs are required to ensure and provide documentation that each child in the assistance unit who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations, except as specified. If the documentation is not provided within the required time period, existing law prohibits the needs of all parents or caretaker relatives in the assistance unit from being considered in determining the grant to the assistance unit until the required documentation is provided.
Existing law also generally makes persons between the ages of 6 and 18 years of age subject to compulsory full-time education, unless exempted. Existing law also requires children in a CalWORKs assistance unit for whom school attendance is compulsory, except as specified, compulsory to attend school. school, except as specified. Under existing law, the needs of a child in the assistance unit who is 16
years of age or older are not considered in computing the specified grant of the family for any month in which the county is informed by a school district or a county school attendance review board that the child did not attend school, unless at least one of certain conditions is present.
This bill would repeal those provisions relating to mandatory immunization and school attendance. The
This bill would repeal the requirement under CalWORKs for a child in an assistance unit to attend school, but would require applicants for and recipients of CalWORKs to be informed of the general compulsory education requirements. The bill would repeal the
prohibition against considering the needs of a child in an assistance unit who is 16 years of age or older who did not attend school, thereby allowing the needs of that child to be considered in computing the monthly family grant.
Under existing law, all applicants for or recipients of CalWORKs are required to ensure and provide documentation that each child in the assistance unit who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations, unless it has been medically determined that an immunization for a child is not appropriate or the applicant or recipient has filed with the county welfare department an affidavit that the immunizations are contrary to the applicant’s or recipient’s beliefs. Existing law requires documentation of immunization to be provided by all recipients for aid within 30 days of the determination of eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits, within 45 days for applicants already eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, and for
all recipients for CalWORKs, within 45 days of full or financial redetermination. Existing law prohibits the needs of all parents or caretaker relatives in the assistance unit from being considered in determining the grant to the assistance unit until the required documentation is provided. Existing law requires a notice of the obligation to secure immunizations to be given to the applicant or recipient at the time of application and at the next redetermination of eligibility for aid, and specifies information to be required in the notice.
This bill would eliminate the personal belief exception for required immunizations and would extend to 60 days all the above deadlines for providing immunization documentation. The bill would eliminate the prohibition against considering the needs of all parents or caretaker relatives in the assistance unit from being considered in determining the grant to the assistance unit until the required documentation is provided and,
instead, would authorize $50 per month to be withheld from the grant until the required documentation is provided, as specified. The bill would revise the information required to be given to all applicants and recipients to include a statement advising the applicant or recipient of the right to request and receive nonmedical transportation services through the Medi-Cal managed care plan and to include notice of a 60-day grace period to provide the required documentation of immunizations before any funds may be withheld. By increasing the duties of counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would require the department to implement its provisions through an all-county letter or similar instruction, which the bill would require to be issued by July 1, 2020.
Existing
law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.
This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for the purposes of implementing the bill.
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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares the following:(a) Researchers who study public health habits of families living in deep poverty have found that when the children of those families do not benefit from public health interventions, it is most often because their parents or caretakers are disconnected from the healthcare system and lack the resources necessary for their child’s participation.
(b) Research also shows that increasing access to services and resources increases the power of public health and educational interventions to alleviate poverty and help pave a path out of poverty
for poor children.
(c) There is no evidence that denying cash assistance for basic needs to parents whose children have not benefited form public health or educational services increases receipt of those services, it simply makes families poorer and less able to ensure the safety, health, and educational growth of their children.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to improve public health and the health and educational outcomes of young children living in homes that receive assistance through the CalWORKs program.
SEC. 2.
Section 11253.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.SEC. 3.
Section 11253.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:11253.5.
(a) Applicants for and recipients of aid under this chapter shall be informed of the compulsory education requirements contained in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 48200) of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code and the requirements shall be included in the recipients’ welfare-to-work plan under Section 11325.21.(b) If it is determined by the county that any child in the assistance unit is not attending school as required by subdivision (a), the family may be informed of how to enroll the child in a continuation school within the county and may be screened to determine eligibility for family stabilization services in accordance with county policy and procedures. If applicable, the county shall document that the family
was given this information and was screened for those services.
SEC. 4.
Section 11265.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:11265.8.
(a) All applicants for aid under this chapter, within(b) At the time of application and at the next redetermination of eligibility for aid under this chapter, all applicants and recipients shall be given notice advising them of their obligation to secure the immunizations required in subdivision (a). The notice shall also contain all of the
following:
(1) The Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule, United States, and the Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children Not Immunized on Schedule in the First Year of Life, as appropriate, approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
(2) A description of how to obtain the immunizations through a fee-for-service provider that accepts Medi-Cal, a Medi-Cal managed care plan, a county public health clinic, or any other source that may be available in the county as appropriate.
(3)A statement that the applicant or recipient may file an affidavit
claiming that the immunizations are contrary to the applicant’s or recipient’s beliefs.
(c)This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.
(3) A statement that the applicant or recipient has the right to request and receive nonmedical transportation services through the applicant or recipient’s Medi-Cal managed care plan necessary to ensure immunization of a child described in subdivision (a). The statement shall also include state-developed information regarding how the applicant or recipient may receive nonmedical transportation services from the Medi-Cal managed care plan.
(4) Notice of a 60-day grace period to correct a violation of this
section and provide the required documentation prior to any funds being withheld pursuant to subdivision (a).
