Bill Text: CA SB1066 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: California Farmworkers Drought Resilience Pilot Project.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2022-09-29 - In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending. [SB1066 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB1066-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 16, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1066

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Introduced by Senator Hurtado

February 15, 2022

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An act to amend Section 11526 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalWORKs. add and repeal Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 18992) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1066, as amended, Hurtado. CalWORKs. California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services and requires the department to administer various public social services programs, including the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals, and the CalFresh program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county.

This bill would require the department, commencing January 1, 2023, and subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, to administer the California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project, under which certain households that include a person who worked as a farmworker for the entire period beginning March 11, 2020, and ending January 1, 2022, would receive supplemental pay of $1,000 per month for 3 years. The bill would define supplemental pay to mean unconditional cash payments of equal amounts issued monthly to eligible households with the intention of ensuring the economic security of recipients. The bill would exempt the supplemental pay, to the extent permissible under federal law, from being considered income for the purposes of determining eligibility and benefit amount for specified public social services, programs, and financial aid. The bill would require the department to work with at least one independent, research-based institution to identify existing, and establish additional, outcome measurements, and to submit a specified report relating to the pilot project to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2026. The bill would authorize the department to accept in-kind contributions, including, but not limited to, financial mentorship services for recipients. The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions by means of a departmental directive or similar instruction.

This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2027.

Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals. Under existing law, the Legislature requests that the Regents of the University of California establish and administer a program or programs to support welfare research and evaluation of the CalWORKs program. Existing law specifies the Legislature’s intent as to the components of the program or programs, which include, among other things, the establishment of a sponsored grants program to provide funding for interested researchers to undertake studies on important welfare-related issues.

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 18992) is added to Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

CHAPTER  13. California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project

18992.

 (a) There is hereby established the California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project, which is a state-funded supplemental pay program that provides cash assistance to eligible households so that the households may use the cash assistance to help meet their basic needs.

(b) Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, the State Department of Social Services shall administer the California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project with the goal of lifting farmworkers out of poverty. The pilot project shall commence on January 1, 2023, and end on December 31, 2026.

(c) (1) A household that is eligible for the program shall receive supplemental pay of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per month for three years.

(2) In order to be eligible for the program, a household shall meet all of the following requirements:

(A) At least one member of the household is a California resident.

(B) At least one member of the household worked as a farmworker for the entire period beginning March 11, 2020, and ending on January 1, 2022.

(C) For the entire period beginning March 11, 2020, and ending on January 1, 2022, the household received benefits under either the CalFresh program or the California Food Assistance Program, or would have been eligible to receive benefits under either of those programs for the entire period beginning March 11, 2020, to January 1, 2022, but for the immigration status of one or more members of the household.

(d) The department shall deliver the supplemental pay established by this chapter using the electronic benefits transfer system established pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10065) of Part 1.

(e) The department shall provide all households that are eligible for the program established by this chapter information relating to other public assistance programs for which the household may be eligible.

(f) To the extent authorized under federal law, the supplemental pay provided pursuant to this chapter shall not be considered income or resources for purposes of determining eligibility to receive benefits, or the amount of benefits, under the following public social services, programs, and financial aid:

(1) CalWORKs.

(2) CalFresh.

(3) California Earned Income Tax Credit (California EITC).

(4) Medi-Cal.

(5) State and federal financial aid and college support programs, including, but not limited to, benefits provided to veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States pursuant to Title 38 of the United States Code.

18992.1.

 For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Farmworker” has the same meaning as the term “agricultural employee,” as defined in Section 1140.4 of the Labor Code.

(b) “Supplemental pay” means unconditional cash payments of equal amounts issued monthly to eligible households with the intention of ensuring the economic security of those households.

18992.2.

 (a) The department shall work with at least one independent, research-based institution to identify existing, and establish additional, outcome measurements. These measurements shall inform an evaluation report that shall be provided to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2026. The evaluation shall include outcomes for farmworkers served under the California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project, models utilized, and measures specific to the objectives of the project. Notwithstanding any other law, the department may accept and expend funds from nongovernment sources for the evaluation, for a longitudinal study of the California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project that is in addition to the evaluation, or for both. The report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information:

(1) Starting income of participating households before receiving monthly supplemental pay under the California Supplemental Pay for Farmworkers Pilot Project.

(2) Geographic indicators, including county of residence, city, and ZIP Code.

(3) Employment status of the members of participating households before receiving monthly supplemental pay.

(4) Housing status of participating households before receiving monthly supplemental pay.

(5) Additional descriptive and outcome indicators, as appropriate.

(b) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(c) For purposes of administering the pilot program established by Section 18992, the department may accept in-kind contributions, including, but not limited to, financial mentorship services for recipients.

18992.3.

 Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may, without taking any further regulatory action, implement, interpret, or make specific this chapter by means of departmental directives or similar instructions.

18992.4.

 (a) This chapter shall become operative on January 1, 2023.

(b) This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed.

SECTION 1.Section 11526 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

11526.

(a)The Legislature hereby requests the Regents of the University of California to establish and administer a program or programs to support welfare research and evaluation of the CalWORKs program.

(b)It is the intent of the Legislature that the program or programs established by the University of California do all of the following:

(1)Establish a sponsored grants program to provide funding for interested researchers to undertake studies on important welfare-related issues. These grants shall be applied only to research projects requested by representatives of state and local government entities.

(2)Establish one or more Bureau of the Census secure data sites to link census and administrative data bases for ongoing research purposes.

(3)Use existing data archives to develop data sets appropriate for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of CalWORKs program implementation in California.

(4)Create and maintain public use data sets and make data available to researchers and members of the public to support welfare research and related human services research.

(5)Provide ongoing capacity for supporting, conducting, and disseminating welfare policy research.

(6)Produce and maintain lists of researchers working with California welfare data or conducting research on public assistance in California.

(7)Review, edit, publish, and disseminate research and evaluation reports to state and local policymakers.

(8)Provide forums for the presentation of research findings and the discussion of research on welfare.

(9)Provide a location for welfare data archives and monitor ongoing funding for their upkeep.