Bill Text: CA SB659 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Opportunity Grant Pilot Project.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 11-1)

Status: (Failed) 2016-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB659 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SB659-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 659	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 21, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 6, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Bates, Gaines, Huff, Nguyen, Nielsen, and
Vidak
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Stone)
   (Coauthors: Senators Berryhill, Cannella, Fuller, and Morrell)


                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act to add and repeal Article 3.7 (commencing with Section
11337) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to public social services, and making an
appropriation therefor.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 659, as amended, Bates. Opportunity Grant Pilot Project.
   Existing federal law provides for the allocation of federal funds
through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
program under which, through a combination of state and county funds
and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county
provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income
families.
   This bill would require the State Department of Social Services,
no later than July 1, 2016, to design and implement a 5-year pilot
project under which monetary grants are provided to organizations
operating programs that assist individuals receiving CalWORKs
benefits achieve economic independence. The bill would require the
department, in developing the pilot project, among other things, to
develop a competitive review process for all grant proposals
submitted, and to develop an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness
of an organization receiving grant funding in teaching its program
participants the skills necessary to achieve economic independence.
The bill would authorize the department to enter into an agreement
with an academic institution or other entity with sufficient
expertise for the purpose of creating, performing, or both creating
and performing the evaluation. The bill would authorize an
organization receiving a grant to utilize the funds in any reasonable
manner, as long as the funds are expended in furtherance of the
organization's program or other requirements established by the
department. The bill would require the department, or the academic
institution or other entity the department contracted with, to send a
report evaluating the effectiveness of the programs funded by the
grants to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature by December 31, 2020. The bill would appropriate
$50,000,000 from the General Fund for the purpose of funding these
provisions. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July
1, 2021, and would repeal them on January 1, 2022.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) California is expected to spend $142 billion on health and
human services programs this year, which is by far the largest state
budget expenditure, while total education spending for kindergarten,
grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and higher education programs is only $80
billion per year.
   (b) California has the fifth largest Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) cash grant in the nation, and second largest
amongst the 10 largest states, yet poverty remains a persistent
problem.
   (c) We must recognize that California's problems of poverty and
inequality do not stem from a lack of safety net programs.
   (d) California's social safety net needs to invest in programs
that elevate people out of poverty rather than helping people live
better in poverty.
  SEC. 2.  Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 11337) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:

      Article 3.7.  Opportunity Grant Pilot Project


   11337.  (a) The State Department of Social Services shall, no
later than July 1, 2016, design and implement a five-year pilot
project under which monetary grants are provided to organizations
operating programs that assist individuals receiving CalWORKs
benefits achieve economic independence.
   (b) In developing the pilot project described in subdivision (a),
the department shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
   (1) Develop a competitive review process for all grant proposals
submitted and a methodology to determine grant amounts.
   (2) Develop eligibility requirements for organizations seeking a
grant. The eligibility requirements shall, at a minimum, require an
organization's program to include all of the elements specified in
subdivision (d).  The eligibility requirements for organizations
seeking a grant do not affect an individual's eligibility for
CalWORKs benefits, as determined by the county. 
   (3) Develop an ongoing evaluation, utilizing objective criteria,
of the effectiveness of an organization receiving grant funding in
teaching its program participants the skills necessary to achieve
economic independence. The evaluation criteria shall, at a minimum,
include an examination of all of the following:
   (A) The number and percentage of participants that complete the
program.
   (B) The number and percentage of program participants that begin
the program with a high school diploma or equivalent.
   (C) The number and percentage of program participants that achieve
a high school diploma or equivalent while in the program.
   (D) The number of program participants that obtain nonsubsidized
employment of at least 20 hours per week by the time of program
completion, with regular followup to determine if this minimum level
of nonsubsidized employment is maintained for the duration of the
ongoing evaluation required by this paragraph.
   (E) The attainment of academic stability for the children of
program participants. The department shall develop a definition of
academic stability for purposes of this section.
   (F) The number and percentage of program participants still
receiving CalWORKs benefits upon completion of the program.
   (G) The average income of program participants at the time of
program completion.
   (c) The department may enter into an agreement with an academic
institution or other entity with sufficient expertise for the purpose
of creating, performing, or both creating and performing the
evaluation required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (b). The
department and any academic institution or other entity the
department contracts with to create, perform, or both create and
perform the evaluation shall seek input from stakeholders during the
development process.
   (d) In order to be considered for a grant, an organization shall,
at a minimum, include all of the following elements in its program:
   (1) Education focused on the attainment of a high school diploma
or its equivalent.
   (2) Mental health services.
   (3) Employment training.
   (4) Financial training.
   (5) Parenting skills training.
   (6) Life skills training.
   (7) Child care services.  If the organization serves only
pregnant women, the organization shall not be required to provide
child care services to be eligible for grant funding. 
   (8) A clean and sober environment.  A program may utilize
random drug testing in order to ensure a clean and sober environment.

   (9) Comprehensive, targeted case management to assist program
participants.
   (10) Ongoing monitoring of program participants for at least five
years after they have completed the program for purposes of measuring
long-term program effectiveness.
   (e) An organization receiving a grant may utilize the grant funds
in any reasonable manner, as long as the funds are expended in
furtherance of the program elements or other requirements the
department establishes. Housing, transportation, and child care
expenses for program participants shall be considered an allowable
use of grant funds.
   (f) (1) The benefits an individual may receive through
participation in a program receiving grant funding are in addition to
any other public assistance benefits for which the individual may be
eligible.
   (2) Organizations receiving grant funding may set their own
eligibility criteria for their programs as long as the eligibility
criteria are consistent with the goals of this pilot project. 
The criteria for eligibility set by the organization do not affect an
individual's eligibility for CalWORKs benefits, as determined by the
county. 
   (g) Participation in a program administered by an organization
receiving grant funding pursuant to this section is voluntary.
   (h) (1) No later than December 31, 2020, the department, or the
academic institution or other entity the department contracted with
pursuant to subdivision (c), shall send a report evaluating the
effectiveness of the programs funded by the grants to the relevant
policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The report shall
also be posted on the department's Internet Web site.
   (2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall not reveal the
identity of any program participant, nor shall it contain any
personally identifiable information.
   (3) The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in
compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
   11338.  This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2021,
and, as of January 1, 2022, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2022, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.
  SEC. 3.  The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of Social
Services for purposes of funding the pilot program developed pursuant
to Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 11337) of Chapter 2 of Part
3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.