Senate Bill No. 735
CHAPTER 155

An act to amend Section 10824.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.

[ Approved by Governor  July 30, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State  July 30, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 735, Leyva. Public social services: accommodation: notification.
Existing law directs the Office of Systems Integration within the California Health and Human Services Agency to implement a statewide automated welfare system for specified public assistance programs, including, among others, the CalWORKs program, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and the foster care program.
Existing law requires any single state automated welfare system implemented pursuant to the above provisions to include a notification to inform a caseworker that an applicant or recipient has disclosed the need for an accommodation consistent with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act or has disclosed a disability or domestic violence experience that may affect the applicant’s or recipient’s eligibility for certain exemptions from, and exceptions to, CalWORKs program requirements. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to collaborate with county welfare departments in developing this notification, which is required to be immediately visible to the caseworker upon opening the applicant’s or recipient’s file in the system.
This bill would expand the notification requirement described above to inform a caseworker that an applicant or recipient has disclosed a disability or domestic violence experience that may affect the applicant’s or recipient’s eligibility for certain exemptions from, and exceptions to, requirements imposed by any public assistance program required to be included in the single state automated welfare system. The bill would also require the department to include in any amendment of or revision to a form or report that is adopted on or after January 1, 2020, and that is to be completed by an applicant for, or a recipient of, public assistance, using the single statewide automated welfare system, questions that permit the applicant or recipient to disclose a disability, the need for accommodation due to disability, and any experience of domestic violence.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 10824.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

10824.5.
 (a) Any single state automated welfare system implemented pursuant to this chapter shall include a notification to inform the caseworker of a public assistance program applicant or recipient of the following information:
(1) That the applicant or recipient has indicated the need for an accommodation due to disability consistent with Section 12132 of Title 42 of the United States Code and Section 35.130 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(2) That the applicant or recipient has disclosed a disability or experience of domestic violence that may affect the applicant’s or recipient’s eligibility for certain exemptions from, and exceptions to, requirements imposed by any public assistance program included in the single state automated welfare system pursuant to Section 10823.
(b) The State Department of Social Services shall collaborate with county welfare departments in developing the notification required by this section.
(c) The notification required by this section shall be immediately visible to the caseworker upon opening the applicant’s or recipient’s file in the system.
(d) The department shall include in any amendment of or revision to a form or report that is adopted on or after January 1, 2020, and that is to be completed by an applicant for, or a recipient of, public assistance, using the single statewide automated welfare system, questions that permit the applicant or recipient to disclose a disability, the need for accommodation due to disability, and any experience of domestic violence.