Bill Text: CA AB433 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Public social services: CalWORKs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-10-06 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 514, Statutes of 2015. [AB433 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB433-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 433	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  514
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  OCTOBER 6, 2015
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  OCTOBER 6, 2015
	PASSED THE SENATE  SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  MAY 22, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Chu

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2015

   An act to add Sections 11321 and 11450.05 to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 433, Chu. Public social services: CalWORKs.
   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 requires that aid under the CalWORKs program
be paid for each qualified family, which includes all eligible
brothers and sisters of each eligible applicant or recipient child
and the parents of the children, but does not include unborn children
or recipients of aid under the Burton-Moscone-Bagley Citizens'
Income Security Act for Aged, Blind and Disabled Californians.
   This bill would require a deceased child to continue to be
included as a member of a qualified family for the month in which his
or her death occurred, and the following month.
   Under the CalWORKs program, recipients are required to participate
in specified welfare-to-work activities, unless certain circumstance
are present. When an individual fails or refuses to comply with
specified components of the CalWORKs program without good cause, the
individual is subject to prescribed financial sanctions.
   This bill would prohibit sanctions from being applied for a
grieving parent's failure or refusal to comply with program
requirements during the month in which a child in the assistance unit
died, or the following month. The bill would also require, upon
receiving notification of the death of a child in the assistance
unit, the county to assist a grieving parent in accessing services
for which he or she may be eligible and to provide information to the
grieving parent about mental health services. By imposing new duties
on counties, 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.
   Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General
Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.
   This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation
would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 11321 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
   11321.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, sanctions shall not be
applied for a grieving parent's failure or refusal to comply with
program requirements during the month in which a child in the
assistance unit died, or the following month.
   (b) Upon receiving notification of the death of a child in an
assistance unit, the county shall do both of the following:
   (1) Assist a grieving parent in accessing services for which the
parent may be eligible. These services may include, but are not
limited to, nutrition supplement programs, housing assistance, and
other cash aid programs.
   (2) Provide information to the grieving parent about mental health
services, including, but not limited to, information about, and a
referral to, services provided by the county human services agency,
if appropriate.
   (c) For the purposes of this section, "grieving parent" means an
aided adult who is required to participate in welfare-to-work
activities and who experiences the death of a child in his or her
assistance unit.
  SEC. 2.  Section 11450.05 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, immediately following Section 11450.04, to read:
   11450.05.  (a) For purposes of determining the maximum aid payment
specified in subdivision (a) of Section 11450, the number of needy
persons in the same family shall not be decreased because of the
death of a child in the assistance unit for the month in which the
death occurred or the following month.
   (b) Aid paid under subdivision (a) shall not be deemed an
overpayment unless the county determines, pursuant to Sections 11004
and 11004.1, that the assistance unit would have been subject to
overpayment recovery, and the county would have sought recovery, even
if the child had not died.
  SEC. 3.  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.
  SEC. 4.  No appropriation pursuant to Section 15200 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of implementing this
act.