Bill Text: CA AB910 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered


Bill Title: CalWORKs: welfare-to-work activities: hours.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 318, Statutes of 2017. [AB910 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB910-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 910
CHAPTER 318

An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 11322.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalWORKs.

[ Approved by Governor  September 27, 2017. Filed with Secretary of State  September 27, 2017. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 910, Ridley-Thomas. CalWORKs: welfare-to-work activities: hours.
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 to Needy Families block grant program, state, and county funds. Existing law requires families to be grouped into assistance units for purposes of determining eligibility and computing the amount of CalWORKs aid to be paid.
Existing law establishes a 48-month lifetime limit of CalWORKs benefits for eligible adults, as specified. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in certain welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid for 24 cumulative months, as specified, and to meet other federal requirements afterwards, as specified. Existing law exempts a person with a disability, as specified, from participation in welfare-to-work activities.
This bill would, commencing July 1, 2018, recast these provisions and would clarify that an adult in an assistance unit that includes 2 adults, one of whom is disabled, is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for the same number of hours per week as an adult in an assistance unit that includes only one adult. The bill would also provide that the hour requirement is an average of at least 20 hours per week during the month for a pregnant woman receiving CalWORKs benefits during the above-described 24 months, and an average of at least 30 hours per week during the month after the 24 months, if the assistance unit consists only of that pregnant woman.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to issue an all-county letter or similar instructions, and to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill no later than 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 instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 11322.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

11322.8.
 (a) For a recipient required to participate in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 11322.85, unless the recipient is otherwise exempt, the following shall apply:
(1) (A) An adult recipient in a one-parent assistance unit that does not include a child under six years of age shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for an average of at least 30 hours per week during the month.
(B) An adult recipient in a one-parent assistance unit that includes a child under six years of age shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for an average of at least 20 hours per week during the month.
(2) An adult recipient who is an unemployed parent, as defined in Section 11201, shall participate for an average of at least 35 hours of welfare-to-work activities per week during the month. However, both parents in a two-parent assistance unit may contribute to the 35 hours.
(b) For a recipient required to participate in accordance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11322.85, the following shall apply:
(1) Unless otherwise exempt, an adult recipient in a one-parent assistance unit shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for an average of at least 30 hours per week during the month, subject to the special rules and limitations described in Section 607(c)(1)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code as of January 1, 2013.
(2) Unless otherwise exempt, an adult recipient in a one-parent assistance unit that includes a child under six years of age shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for an average of at least 20 hours per week during the month, as described in Section 607(c)(2)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code as of January 1, 2013.
(3) Unless otherwise exempt, an adult recipient who is an unemployed parent, as defined in Section 11201, shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for an average of at least 35 hours per week during the month, subject to the special rules and limitations described in Section 607(c)(1)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code as of January 1, 2013.
(c) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2018, and, as of January 1, 2019, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

 Section 11322.8 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

11322.8.
 (a) An adult recipient required to participate in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 11322.85, unless otherwise exempt, shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for the following number of hours per week during the month:
(1) An average of at least 30 hours per week, if the assistance unit includes either of the following but does not include a child under six years of age:
(A) One adult.
(B) Two adults, one of whom is disabled as defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 11320.3.
(2) An average of at least 20 hours per week, if the assistance unit includes a child under six years of age and either of the following:
(A) One adult.
(B) Two adults, one of whom is disabled as defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 11320.3.
(3) An average of at least 20 hours per week, if the assistance unit consists only of a pregnant woman.
(4) An average of at least 35 hours per week, if the adult recipient is an unemployed parent, as defined in Section 11201, except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2). However, both parents in a two-parent assistance unit may contribute to the 35 hours.
(b) An adult recipient required to participate in accordance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11322.85, unless otherwise exempt, shall participate in welfare-to-work activities for the following number of hours per week during the month:
(1) An average of at least 30 hours per week, subject to the special rules and limitations described in Section 607(c)(1)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code as of January 1, 2013, if the assistance unit consists of only a pregnant woman, or includes one of the following but does not include a child under six years of age:
(A) One adult.
(B) Two adults, one of whom is disabled as defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 11320.3.
(2) An average of at least 20 hours per week, as described in Section 607(c)(2)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code as of January 1, 2013, if the assistance unit includes only one adult and a child under six years of age.
(3) An average of at least 35 hours per week, if the adult recipient is an unemployed parent, as defined in Section 11201, except as provided in paragraph (1) and subject to the special rules and limitations described in Section 607(c)(1)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code as of January 1, 2013.
(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.

SEC. 3.

 (a) Notwithstanding 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 instructions from the director.
(b) The department shall adopt regulations as necessary to implement this act no later than July 1, 2020.

SEC. 4.

 No appropriation pursuant to Section 15200 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of implementing this act.
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