Bill Text: CA AB719 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Transitional food stamps for foster youth.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2009-10-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 371, Statutes of 2009. [AB719 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB719-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 719	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Beall, Hall, John A. Perez,
Portantino, Skinner, and Torres)

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to add Section 18901.4 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 719, as introduced, Bonnie Lowenthal. Transitional food stamps
for foster youth.
   Existing law declares the duty of the state to care for and
protect the children that it places into foster care. Under existing
law, the State Department of Social Services has various powers and
duties relating to ensuring that the needs of foster children are
met.
   Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care
Services, if, and to the extent that, all necessary federal approvals
are obtained for federal financial participation, to implement a
federal option to extend Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care
adolescents, as defined in federal law.
   Existing law provides for the federal Food Stamp Program, under
which each county distributes food stamps provided by the federal
government to eligible households. The Food Stamp Program is
administered at the state level by the State Department of Social
Services.
   This bill would require the department to create the Transitional
Food Stamps for Foster Youth Program, effective July 1, 2010. The
program would provide independent foster care adolescents who are not
eligible for CalWORKs or SSI benefits, with eligibility for food
stamps without regard to income or resources.
   This bill would require the department to implement its provisions
by all county letter or similar instructions, and would prescribe
additional duties of the department in connection with the
transitional food stamp program. This bill would be implemented only
to the extent that federal financial participation is available.
   By increasing county duties, 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 18901.4 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   18901.4.  (a) Effective July 1, 2010, the department shall create
a Transitional Food Stamps for Foster Youth program under which
independent foster care adolescents, as defined in Section 1905(w)(1)
of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396d(w)(1)) and
who are not eligible for CaLWORKs or Supplementary Security Income
program benefits, shall be eligible without regard to income or
resources.
   (b) An individual eligible for the program created pursuant to
this section shall receive the maximum benefit amount allotted for a
household size of one for the initial certification period, which
shall remain constant for the entirety of the initial certification
period. The food stamp case shall be established and maintained in
the county of jurisdiction designated by the terminating foster care
case.
   (c) An individual eligible pursuant to this section shall be
entitled to a 12-month certification period and shall be exempt from
any quarterly or semiannual reporting requirement during the
certification period.
   (d) Notwithstanding any other provision law, Chapter 4.6
(commencing with Section 10830) of Part 2 of Division 9 shall not
apply to individuals eligible under this section during the 12-month
transitional food stamp program certification period.
   (e) Not later than March 1, 2010, the department shall seek all
necessary federal waivers to implement this section for these
beneficiaries. This section shall be implemented only to the extent
that federal financial participation is available.
   (f) The department shall implement this section by an all county
letter (ACL) or similar instruction from the director and shall adopt
regulations as otherwise necessary to implement this section no
later than January 1, 2011.
   (g) The department shall establish a new aid code for individuals
receiving benefits pursuant to this section, in order to
differentiate these cases from the standard Non-assistance Food Stamp
(NAFS) case.
  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.