Bill Text: CA SB1002 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Low-income individuals: eligibility determinations.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Vetoed) 2014-09-28 - In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending. [SB1002 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SB1002-Enrolled.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1002	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 25, 2014
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 20, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 18, 2014
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 28, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Senator De León
   (Coauthor: Senator Anderson)

                        FEBRUARY 13, 2014

   An act to amend Section 14005.66 of, and to add Section 18901.05
to, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to low-income
individuals.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1002, De León.  Low-income individuals: eligibility
determinations.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under
which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services.
The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal
Medicaid Program provisions.
   Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh,
formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which supplemental nutrition
assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government
are distributed to eligible individuals by each county.
   Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services
to seek any federal waivers necessary to use eligibility information
of certain individuals who have been determined eligible for the
CalFresh program to determine their eligibility for Medi-Cal.
   This bill would also require the State Department of Health Care
Services to seek any federal waivers necessary to use eligibility
information of certain individuals who have been determined eligible
for the CalFresh program to redetermine their eligibility for
Medi-Cal. The bill would similarly require the State Department of
Social Services to seek any federal waivers necessary to use
eligibility information of individuals who have been determined
eligible for the Medi-Cal program to determine or redetermine their
CalFresh eligibility. The bill would require the State Department of
Social Services to consult with stakeholders in the implementation of
this provision and would authorize the State Department of Social
Services to implement this provision by means of all-county letters
or similar instructions.


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

  SECTION 1.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) Approximately 35 percent of Medi-Cal recipients are
potentially eligible to receive CalFresh benefits, but are not
currently receiving those benefits.
   (2) Only 77 percent of CalFresh recipients are currently enrolled
in Medi-Cal despite the fact that the eligibility income threshold
for Medi-Cal is higher than it is for CalFresh.
   (3) Recent collaboration between the State Department of Social
Services, the State Department of Health Care Services, and county
human services agencies has resulted in the Express Lane Enrollment
Project, which is an effort to utilize information in a CalFresh case
file to determine eligibility for Medi-Cal. The Express Lane
Enrollment Project has been very successful, resulting in more than
222,000 CalFresh recipients being enrolled into Medi-Cal.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to
streamline enrollment and eligibility certification processes and
procedures for CalFresh and Medi-Cal, both at initial enrollment and
at renewal, to improve access to CalFresh and Medi-Cal, and to reduce
administrative burdens on county agencies and applicant households.
  SEC. 2.  Section 14005.66 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   14005.66.  The department shall seek any federal waivers necessary
to use the eligibility information of individuals who have been
determined eligible for the CalFresh program under Chapter 10
(commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6, and who are under 65 years
of age and are not disabled, to determine or redetermine their
Medi-Cal eligibility.
  SEC. 3.  Section 18901.05 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
   18901.05.  (a) The department shall seek any federal waivers
necessary to use the eligibility information of individuals who have
been determined eligible for Medi-Cal under Chapter 7 (commencing
with Section 14000) of Part 3 to determine or redetermine their
CalFresh eligibility.
   (b) The department shall consult with stakeholders in the
implementation of this section.
   (c) 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 department shall implement this section by all-county letters or
similar instructions.