Bill Text: CA AB870 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Public social services: benefits for students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB870 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB870-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 870
| Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula |
February 14, 2023 |
An act to amend Section 10006 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 870, as introduced, Arambula.
Public social services: benefits for students.
Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services administers various social services programs, such as the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh, to provide benefits to eligible individuals. Existing law requires counties to administer these programs. Existing law requires a county human services agency to designate at least one employee as a staff liaison, as provided. Existing law requires the staff liaison to serve as a point of contact for academic counselors and other relevant professional staff at a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county and provide information on programs and services offered by the agency that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education
within the county.
This bill would require the department to convene a workgroup that meets quarterly, comprised of relevant stakeholders as needed to share best practices, updates, challenges, or other topics related to programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education. The bill would require the department, with input from relevant stakeholders, to, among other things, discuss and examine different approaches or activities that could increase enrollment in programs of eligible students. The bill would require the department, in collaboration with stakeholders, to submit a report, on or before June 30, 2024, and every 3 years thereafter, to the Legislature with findings and recommendations relating to increasing enrollment in programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students, as specified.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 10006 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10006.
(a) A county human services agency shall designate at least one employee as a staff liaison, as provided in this section. The staff liaison shall serve as a point of contact for academic counselors and other relevant professional staff at a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county and provide information on programs and services offered by the agency that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education within the county. This requirement is not intended to supersede or otherwise alter existing relationships between counties and campuses of an institution of public higher education, including, but not limited to, coordination related to CalWORKs welfare-to-work participants who are attending a campus of an institution of public higher education.(b) A county human services agency subject to this section, with input from the public institutions of higher education located within the county, shall develop protocols for engagement between the agency and a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county. The agency and the public institutions of higher education located within the county are encouraged to consult stakeholders while developing the protocol, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) A representative from each campus of an institution of public higher education within the county. The representative shall be a staff member tasked with addressing students’ basic needs on the campus.
(2) A counselor or other relevant professional staff from each campus of an institution of public higher education within the
county.
(3) Relevant organizations representing the interests of students, faculty, and staff from each campus of an institution of public higher education within the county.
(c) The State Department of Social Services shall convene a workgroup that meets quarterly comprised of relevant stakeholders as needed to share best practices, updates, challenges, or other topics related to programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending the campus of an institution of public higher education. The department, with input from relevant stakeholders, shall do all of the following:
(1) Collaboratively examine data from institutions of higher education, including student demographics, health and well-being, academic performance, and program participation and outcomes data provided by the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) and the department.
(2) Discuss and examine different approaches or activities that could increase enrollment in programs of eligible students.
(3) Identify and seek any waivers from the federal government or changes to federal or state law that would be required to implement the solutions identified.
(4) (A) On or before June 30, 2024, and every three years thereafter, in collaboration with stakeholders identified pursuant to this subdivision, submit a report to the Legislature with findings and recommendations relating
to increasing enrollment in programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education.
(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c)
(d) Counties are encouraged to provide information to the campuses of an institution of public higher education located within their borders
regarding the location and hours of county human services agency public offices, as well as information regarding online and telephone access to program applications. Each campus of an institution of public higher education is encouraged to disseminate information regarding applying for human services programs and benefits to the campus administrator associated with student services or their designee.
(d)
(e) Any disclosure or sharing of personal information under this section shall be made in compliance with applicable state and federal confidentiality laws.
(e)
(f) For purposes of this section, “public higher education” has the same meaning as in Section 66010 of the Education Code.
(f)
(g) 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 may implement this section by all-county letters or similar instructions.
