"Summary of Legislation, May 15"

Note to Subscribers: This revised summary of welfare-related
legislation replaces summaries sent on April 7, April 23, and May 12.
It is more than 20 pages long.

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY WELFARE REFORM RELATED LEGISLATION
Revised: May 15, 1997

SENATE BILLS

SB 34 - Vasconcellos & Solis - (as introduced): Medi-Cal: undocumented
persons
This bill would allow undocumented immigrants, who meet all other
eligibility requirements, to be eligible for medically necessary
pregnancy-related services--urgency.

SB 43 - Solis - (as amended 3/11/97): Income taxes: credit: earned
income (EITC)
This bill would provide that refunds payable in connection with
claiming the credit shall be available only if funds are appropriated
for that purpose by the Legislature. This bill would make various
conforming changes in provisions relating to the denial of refunds,
interest payable on refunds, and overpayments of tax based on refunds
owed.

SB 83 - McPherson - (as introduced): Income taxes: brackets
Deletes the lowest specified income tax bracket and revises the
remaining income tax brackets, thus changing the amount of tax imposed
on taxpayers under that law.

SB 118 - Haynes - (as introduced): AFDC - truancy
This bill would reduce the AFDC grant by the amount for one person if a
child is habitually truant. Schools would be required to report
specific information to county welfare departments.

SB 130 - Thompson - (as introduced): 1997-98 Budget Bill (Spot Bill)
This bill would make appropriations for support of state government for
the 1997-98 fiscal year.

SB 152 - Johnston - (as introduced): Unemployment benefits--moveable
base
This bill would revise the definition of base period and would provide
that any individual who is ineligible for benefits for the base period
because of insufficient wages (during that period), shall have his or
her eligibility determined on the basis of an alternate base period, as
specified.

SB 158 - Rainey - (as introduced): Child care
This bill states legislative intent that the State Department of
Education establish a program to provide grants and loans to assist
individuals and public and private entities to provide child care and
development services to be funded with federal child care block grant
funds.

SB 163 - Solis - (as introduced): TANF -- Relative caretakers
This bill would exempt eligible relative caregivers from the 2-year
work participation requirements and the 5-year eligibility limitations
contained in the TANF program.

SB 164 - Solis - (as introduced): Disability benefits: family care
and medical leave
This bill would revise the definition of "disabled" with respect to
eligibility for disability benefits to include a person who has been
granted family care and medical leave.

SB 166 - Solis - (as introduced): TANF -- Community Colleges
This bill appropriates $21.5 million from the General Fund to
California Community Colleges to expand work-study programs,
cooperative work education, internship programs, and community service
programs for community college students who receive AFDC.

SB 167 - Solis - (as introduced): Child Care
This bill appropriates $10.2 million from the General Fund to expand
child care services for recipients of AFDC who are attending community
colleges.

SB 168 - Solis - (as introduced): Community Colleges
This bill would appropriate $52.3 million to the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges for the purposes of expanding and
implementing necessary changes in the educational services provided by
community colleges to students who receive AFDC, such as child care,
job placement and development services, and work study programs.

SB 169 - Solis - (as introduced): Vocational Education
This bill would allow AFDC recipients to participate in vocational
educational programs and other educational activities to the greatest
extent permitted by federal law.

SB 173 - Watson - (as introduced): GAIN (Spot Bill)
This bill would extend the period from 2 years to 3 years that an
individual who is required to participate in the GAIN program may
attend and participate in a self-initiated educational or vocational
training program that is likely to lead to unsubsidized employment.

SB 202 - Solis - (as introduced): Unemployment compensation benefits
This bill would make numerous changes to unemployment compensation. It
would increase the amount of remuneration excluded from the definition
of "wages"; revises contribution rates for employers; provides that if
an individual has not been paid sufficient wages in the first 4 of the
last 5 calendar quarters to entitle benefits, allows alternate base
period; revises schedule of benefits for new claims filed after January
1, 1998, that reduces the minimum qualifying wages from $900 to $300
and provides a minimum weekly benefit at $30; reduces the level of
wages required to qualify for unemployment compensation. This bill
would also provide that an individual otherwise eligible for
unemployment compensation benefits shall be paid, in addition to the
benefit amount, a sum of $25 per week for each dependent, as defined.

SB 233 - Solis - (as introduced): Unemployment compensation benefits--
good cause.
This bill would specify that an individual shall be deemed to have left
his or her most recent work with good cause if he or she leaves
employment because of frequent and repeated requirements to work more
than 8 hours per day, or because of a requirement to work regularly
scheduled workdays of more than 8 hours, or because of the inability to
obtain child care.

SB 278 - Watson - (as introduced): Child Care Facilities Bond Act
This bill would provide for submission to the voters the "Child Care
Facilities Financing Act" to expand child care capacity in California.
If enacted by the voters, the state would issue and sell general
obligation bonds of $50 million to be loaned to eligible public and
private nonprofit agencies for acquiring and constructing child day
care facilities or renovating/reconstructing existing child day care
facilities.

SB 279 - Burton - (as introduced): Orphan Asylums
This bill would authorize the Governor to establish a system of state
orphan asylums to provide services to eligible children whose natural
or adoptive parents, or any other caretaker responsible for the care of
the child, does not have sufficient income and does not receive state
or local aid of sufficient amount to provide adequate care for the
child.

SB 285 - Watson - (as introduced): PL 104-193 (Spot Bill)
This bill states legislative intent to enact provisions to conform to
the requirements of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

SB 293 - Thompson - (as introduced): PL 104-193 Intent--Deprivation
This bill states legislative intent concerning requirements for social
services reform. Eliminates deprivation as eligibility requirement.

SB 309 - Watson - (as introduced): Child Care
This bill would require persons who are exempt from child care
licensing who care for the children of persons participating in federal
Title IV-A related child care programs to receive at least 6 hours of
education and training in basic child development practices.

SB 333 - Johannessen - (as introduced): General Assistance
This bill would provide that a county shall not be required to provide
general assistance to any person whose public assistance benefits were
discontinued by virtue of federal or state law.

SB 341 - Watson - (as introduced): TANF - Domestic Violence
This bill would require all caseworkers that work with applicants and
recipients of public assistance to receive a specified number of hours
training on awareness identification, appropriate referrals and
exemptions from requirements.

SB 374 - Leslie - (as introduced): Public Social Services -- Liens
This bill would authorize the state and counties to have a lien of 1/2
of a public aid recipient's winnings from the California State Lottery
in excess of $600.

SB 394 - Johnston - (as introduced): School-to-career paid working
experience
This bill would establish a paid work-experience pilot program at 5
sites around the state, administered by the Employment Development
Department (EDD) in collaboration with the State Department of
Education and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges. The bill would require the EDD to allocate $3,000,000 over a
3-year period among the pilot sites and would require work experience
be paid, take place after school hours, and not earn academic credit.
The bill would require a participating employer to be in compliance
with federal, state, and local health, safety, and labor statutes, and
would require a participating employer to employ pupils a minimum of
200 hours in a calendar year in a job related to the pupil's school-
based studies.

SB 397 - Peace -(as introduced): Public social services--fraud
This bill would require any application, reapplication, renewal, or
monthly declaration of facts relating to eligibility, continuing
eligibility, or the amount of aid to which an applicant or recipient is
entitled, to be a declaration not an affirmation and be made under
penalty of perjury. This bill would provide that any person who, in a
written declaration made in the presence of a public employee, declares
as true any material matter he or she knows to be false, and which he
or she knows relates to the determination of past, present, or future
eligibility of any person for public social services, is guilty of
perjury. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose additional
duties upon local law enforcement agencies, thereby creating a state-
mandated local program.

SB 403 - Thompson - (as introduced): California State General
Assistance Program
This bill would create the California State General Assistance Program
to be administered by the State Department of Social Services and each
county. It would operate in each county, except a county electing not
to participate in the program, in which case the county would be
required to continue providing benefits under county general assistance
program requirement. The new program would establish regional grant
levels, and would provide for statewide eligibility criteria for the
new general assistance program.

SB 487 - Lee - (as amended 5/14/97): Housing - Families Moving to Work
Program
This bill appropriates $5 million from the State General Fund to
finance the construction of lower income housing with day care
facilities and job opportunity services. Would encourage the
development of community housing developments and congregate housing
developments which onsite child care and job training programs to
assist single parents moving from welfare to work.

SB 495 - Rosenthal, et al - (as introduced): Unemployment disability
This bill would increase the weekly benefit cap to $490 for individuals
with disabilities commencing after January 1, 1998.

SB 493 - Thompson - (as amended 04/07/97): Public Social Services
This bill would require that electronic benefits transfer systems for
the transfer of benefits provided through public programs shall be
designed to allow recipients to access their benefits using any
electronic benefits transfer system in the state and to be compatible
with other electronic benefits transfer systems.

SB 505 - Johnston - (as introduced): GAIN -- exemptions
This bill would repeal or revise significant portions of the GAIN
program, reduce reimbursements for child care, revise priorities for
services. Replaces GAIN's allowable work activities with the federal
law's list of work activities. Establishes a new "alternative welfare-
to-work" program and a new "Job Site assistance" program. Eliminates
certain exemptions for GAIN for recipients, allows substance abuse
treatment to be a required work-activity, revises existing GAIN
deferrals and exemptions, including self-initiated education programs,
eliminates certain "anti-displacement" provisions and certain
provisions regarding working conditions, wages, worker's compensation,
etc. Revises the GAIN sanction "reconciliation" process and the self-
employment (microenterprise) option under GAIN.

SB 528 - Watson - (as introduced): SSI/SSP
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to
establish a pilot project in Los Angeles County to conduct a face-to-
face hearing, upon reconsideration of a disability determination for
purposes of SSI/SSP benefits, using the same criteria as is used in the
federal administrative law judge hearing process.

SB 530 - Alpert - (as introduced): Child Care
This bill would include within the Child Care and Development Services
Act the support of the state's welfare reform efforts by providing
child care for all AFDC eligible families and for families
transitioning from welfare to work.

SB 540 - Johnston - (as introduced): County Probation
This bill would appropriate $40 million of TANF funds to county
probation departments for intervention services for youth.

SB 549 - Wright - (as amended): AFDC: eligibility reporting systems
(Spot Bill)
This bill is a spot bill for the Conference Committee. This bill would
authorize Ventura County to conduct a pilot project for an alternative
to the monthly reporting system.

SB 568 - Sher - (as introduced): Family Law - Uniform Interstate
Family Support Act
Clarifies the jurisdiction of the state of California and another state
in cases where both states have issued child support orders with
respect to the same obligor and child. Specifies the procedure for
enforcing or modifying a support order or income withholding order
issued in another state.

SB 604 - Watson - (as amended 3/31/97): Food Assistance Program
This bill provides for the state to establish a Food Assistance Program
that will meet a portion of the nutritional needs of former food stamp
recipients who have no other means to meet those needs, including legal
immigrants and others.

SB 616 - Sher - (as introduced): Children: Foster care and adoption
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to
establish a regional foster care and adoption public education and
recruitment project for the purpose of increasing the effectiveness of
educational and recruitment processes and maximizing the resources
available for that effort in 9 specified counties.

SB 639 - Burton - (as amended 4/14/97): Job Credits
This bill would authorize a credit against those taxes for each taxable
and income year beginning on or after January 1, 1997, and before
January 1, 2002, in an amount equal to 50% of the amount of qualified
wages, as defined, paid or incurred during the taxable or income year
to an employee of the taxpayer's trade or business who is a certified
trainee, as specified. The bill would require the Director of
Employment Development or his or her designee to certify to employers
persons qualified as certified trainees who are unemployed recipients
of public assistance.

SB 646 - Wright - (as amended 3/31/97): Public assistance
This bill would, with the approval of Ventura County, require the
establishment of a pilot project in the county under which an AFDC
applicant or recipient would be permitted to disregard the value of one
car in determining eligibility. If federal approval is obtained, would
also disregard the value of one car for Food Stamps eligibility.

SB 655 - Johnston - (as introduced): Job training/Economic development
collaborations
This bill would enact the Regional Work Force Preparation and Economic
Development Act, and would require the Secretary of the Health and
Welfare Agency, the Secretary of the Trade and Commerce Agency, the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and the Superintendent
of Public Instruction, on or before October 1, 1997, to develop an
integrated state work force development plan and initiate a process to
select 5 regional work force development collaboratives. Each
collaborative would receive a minimum of $1 million per year for up to
3 years from existing state and federal funds, as specified. The bill
would require annual progress reports and a final report by
July 1, 2001.

SB 685 - Monteith - (as introduced): Fraud investigations
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to
implement a 5-year pilot fraud investigation program in which county
welfare departments assign not more than 8 county welfare workers to
work with the county district attorney in fraud investigation cases.
The bill would authorize participating counties to retain a portion of
the savings generated by the program and require counties to apply the
money to job placement activities.

SB 752 - Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review - (as introduced): SDSS
and GAIN/employment and training services (Spot Bill)
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to make necessary
statutory changes to implement the Budget Act of 1997 relative to the
department and the GAIN program--urgency.

SB 753 - Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review - (as introduced):
SSI/SSP (Spot Bill)
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to make the
necessary statutory changes to implement the Budget Act of 1997
relative to the State Department of Social Services' Supplemental
Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled - urgency.

SB 754 - Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review - (as introduced):
Social services (Spot Bill)
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to make the
necessary statutory changes to implement the Budget Act of 1997
relative to the State Department of Social Services and the
restructuring of the welfare program - urgency.

SB 755 - Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review - (as introduced): AFDC
(Spot Bill)
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to make the
necessary statutory changes to implement the Budget Act of 1997,
relative to the AFDC program - urgency.

SB 756 - Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review - (as introduced):
Social services (Spot Bill)
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to make the
necessary statutory changes to implement the Budget Act of 1997
relative to social services - urgency.

SB 809 - Johnston - (as introduced): SSI/SSP and IHSS/ legal
immigrants, etc.
This bill would revise the eligibility requirement for personal care
services under the Medi-Cal program to include any other category that
would be eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits without a
share of cost or any person eligible under the Medicaid program but for
the provisions of the new federal law. Also provides for cash benefits
to be provided to an alien who receives SSI/SSP benefits on or after
August 22, 1996, and whose benefits are terminated due to that federal
law. Each county would be required to make eligibility determinations.

SB 832 - Maddy - (as amended 4/09/97): Contracting of Public Service
This bill would permit counties to contract for the administration of
public social services. Would also authorize a county to enter into
contracts for the provision of job training services.
SB 901 - Lee - (as introduced): Employment/UI
This bill would provide that whenever an employer who has a bona fide
job opening for more than 7 days fails without good cause to notify the
state job service, or fails without good cause to accept referral of
applicants from the job service for the job opening, the employer shall
pay into the Unemployment Fund contributions for the succeeding
calendar year at a surcharge rate equal to 1.15 times the rate the
employer would have otherwise paid. It would also provide that no
Budget Act shall be enacted contrary to the requirement that it be
appropriated with a legislative finding that state employment services
are sufficient to meet the needs of California employers and unemployed
workers to reduce unemployment in this state.

SB 902 - Lee - (as introduced): The Living Wage Contracting Act
This bill would require each state financial assistance recipient,
contractor who enters into services contract with the state, or
subcontractor, as defined, to pay its employees a wage of no less than
$7.50 per hour with health benefits or if no health benefits are
provided, $9.50 per hour, subject to annual adjustment. This bill
would also require each state financial assistance recipient,
contractor, or subcontractor to provide its employees with at least 9
holidays each year, sick time accruing at the rate of one day per month
of employment, and vacation time, as specified, as compensated time
off. This bill would authorize an employee claiming a violation of
these provisions to bring an action in court against the employer for
specified relief. This bill would apply to state contracts and
contract amendments consummated, and financial assistance, as defined,
provided, after the effective date of these provisions.

SB 904 - Lee - (as introduced): Food stamp benefits
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to
submit a waiver request to the United States Department of Agriculture
upon submission of a request by a city or county to the State
Department of Social Services, for a waiver of the work requirement for
certain unemployed recipients who otherwise would lose Food Stamps
eligibility.

SB 932 - Senate Insurance Committee (as amended 4/14/97): Managed Risk
Medical Insurance Board
This bill would provide for the expiration of the terms of appointed
members on January 1, 1998, and would require members appointed
thereafter to be selected by lot to serve staggered terms of varying
lengths. Thereafter, appointments would again be for 4-year terms.
The bill would also require an appointment to be made to fill the
balance of any unexpired term in the event of a vacancy .

SB 933 - Thompson - (as introduced): TANF/child care/GAIN
This bill would make numerous changes to the AFDC program, including
changes in the methods of state and local administration and services
required or permitted to be provided by child care and development
programs. This bill would establish the Welfare Eligibility
Simplification Commission that would make recommendations to the
Legislature and the Governor on changes in eligibility rules and
application procedures. This bill would permit the county to contract
for all or part of the administration of AFDC or permit counties to
operate the AFDC program on a regional basis. This bill would make
changes in AFDC eligibility standards, expand the number of persons
eligible to receive aid. The bill would also modify provisions
relating to aid grants, the use of voucher payments, and eligibility
for child care for both former and current AFDC recipients; require
noncustodial parents of children receiving AFDC benefits to be required
to participate in county job search services; increase county GAIN plan
flexibility, modify program components, and impose certain requirements
upon GAIN participants. Urgency.

SB 934 - Thompson - (as introduced): TANF
This bill would permit the department of Social Services, if a county
elects not to administer the AFDC program, to contract with a private
organization for that purpose, and would require, the department to
administer a program where it is unable to secure a contractor. Would
limit this exemption to a 12-month period, and would permit, for an
additional 12-month period, the exemption of the initial $15 and 1/6 of
the remaining earned income. The bill would continue and expand a
requirement that, an individual must, as a condition of eligibility,
participate in community service employment if he or she is not
employed in unsubsidized employment after receiving aid for a period of
24 months.

SB 963 Hayden - (as introduced): AFDC: eligibility
This bill would permit an applicant or recipient of AFDC to retain one
automobile with a maximum equity value of $4,500; and would impose a
state-mandated local program by expanding AFDC eligibility to persons
who would otherwise be ineligible due to the ownership of property, and
by requiring revisions in the procedures applied in determining
eligibility.

SB 964 - Knight - (as introduced): Disability Compensation--voluntary
plans
This bill would provide for periods of disability commencing on and
after January 1, 1998, that the weekly benefit amount shall not exceed
$490. This bill would, for purposes of approval of a voluntary plan,
revise the coverage of the voluntary plan, as specified, and specify
that the plan need not be made available to employees where prohibited
by a collective bargaining agreement. It would provide for an
enrollment period of a specified duration during which employees may
consent to a voluntary plan.

SB 965 - Costa - (as introduced): Enterprise zone
This bill would provide that enterprise zones and program areas
designated pursuant to former sections that have been repealed and
reenacted by acts that became effective on January 1, 1997, shall be
deemed to remain in existence for taxable or income years beginning on
and after January 1, 1996, and before January 1, 1997. The bill would
make conforming changes with regard to carry over of any unused credits
or deductions attributable to activities in enterprise zones or program
areas. The bill would make other revisions in the Personal Income Tax
Law and the Bank and Corporation Tax Law with regard to tax credits
available for activities in enterprise zones. The bill would also
state the intent of the Legislature that the changes to these laws made
by the bill shall be deemed to be in effect as of January 1, 1997.

SB 1001 - Hayden - (as introduced): TANF
This bill would make numerous changes to AFDC including permitting the
department, if a county elects not to administer the AFDC program, to
contract with a private organization for that purpose, and would
require the department to administer a program where it is unable to
secure a contractor. This bill would limit this exemption to a 12-
month period, and would permit, for an additional 12-month period, the
exemption of the initial $15 and 1/6 of the remaining earned income.
The bill would impose a requirement that an individual must, as a
condition of eligibility, participate in community service employment
if he or she is not employed in unsubsidized employment after receiving
aid for a period of 24 months. This bill would eliminate existing
sanctions, and instead, provide that the sanction to be imposed for
nonparticipation would be the percentage of the family's grant or wage
equal to the percentage of hours of nonparticipation. It would also
require the department to submit recommendations to the Legislature by
February 1, 1998, on modifications to conciliation procedures. This
bill would, with certain exceptions, establish differing aid grant
levels for those who have received aid for a period of 60 months.

SB 1016 - Solis - (as introduced): Social Services: county
administration
This bill extends to June 30, 1999 the provisions that if county-
imposed funding reductions prevent a county from fully funding the
county share of the nonfederal administrative costs for these public
social services programs, the reimbursements to counties for the state
share of these costs shall not be reduced. Urgency

SB 1064 - Johnston - (as introduced): Teen Pregnancy
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to establish a
comprehensive community linked school-based program, Cal-SAFE, that
focuses dropout prevention for pregnant and parenting pupils and on
child care services. School districts and county superintendents of
schools offering programs repealed by this act, if they chose to
participate in the Cal-SAFE program, would continue to provide the
services offered under those programs and have priority for funding
under the new program. The bill would authorize school districts and
county superintendents of schools to establish and maintain a Cal-SAFE
program. This bill would require the State Department of Education to
share information on best practices; develop pupil competencies,
program standards, guidelines for implementing an effective Cal-SAFE
program and for fiscal reporting and analysis; to develop policies and
procedures to evaluate the program, etc. Among authorized services are
parenting education, home-to-school transportation, academic support,
comprehensive health education, career counseling, support groups,
family support and development services, child abuse prevention
education, etc. The bill would require provision of child care
services for the children of teen parents enrolled in Cal-SAFE.

SB 1083 - Watson - (as amended 3/31/97): Child Assistance Plan--a
Child Support Assurance Program
This bill would create an alternative to the current AFDC program, a
new Child Security Assurance Program under which recipients combine
earnings, child support and more favorable income disregards to move
off aid. This is a "Child Support Assurance" pilot based on the
successful New York model.

SB 1085 - Watson - (as introduced): AFDC: eligibility: small
businesses
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, with
the consent of participating counties, to establish 3-year
demonstration projects to provide entrepreneurial training and
technical assistance to AFDC recipients participating in the Greater
Avenues for Independence program. The bill would appropriate an
unspecified sum from the general fund to an unspecified agency to be
used as funds to match nonstate funds available for microenterprise
development for recipients in California.

SB 1140 - Committee on Health and Human Services - (as introduced):
Medi-Cal and SSI/SSP
This bill would specify that persons who were made ineligible for
federal SSI benefits immediately by changes in eligibility due to the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
shall be eligible for benefits as categorically needy if their incomes
do not exceed 100% of the federal poverty level and their resources do
not exceed those of the medically needy. This bill would revise the
eligibility requirements for aliens to eliminate the limited Medi-Cal
eligibility category of aliens whose immigration status has been
adjusted to lawful temporary resident or lawful permanent residence in
accordance with federal law.

SB 1147 - Committee on Health and Human Services - (as introduced):
Medi-Cal/SSI-SSP legal immigrants and children
This bill would provide that any aged, blind, or disabled alien
lawfully present in the United States who arrived in the United States
before August 22, 1996, and who was made ineligible for SSI by changes
in the federal law, shall be eligible for Medi-Cal without a share of
cost under the optional categorically needy program. The bill would
require the department to redetermine ex parte the eligibility for
Medi-Cal benefits of any disabled minor who was made ineligible for SSI
benefits by changes in eligibility due to that federal law. This bill
would also specify that aged and disabled persons who were made
ineligible for SSI benefits by changes in eligibility due to that
federal law shall be eligible for Medi-Cal benefits under the optional
categorically needy program without a share of cost if their incomes do
not exceed 100% of the federal poverty level and their resources do not
exceed those of the medically needy.

SB 1149 - Brulte - (as introduced): Human Services
This bill is the Governor's welfare reform plan covering TANF, Child
Support, G.A., etc. This bill would recast the state AFDC program as
the TANF program, and would revise program eligibility and benefit
requirements and procedures for the administration of the program. It
would impose 1 year time limits on aid to new applicants and 2 year
limits on current recipients (5-year lifetime limits). This bill would
require a parent or other adult in an assistance unit receiving
temporary assistance for needy families to participate in job club or
job search activities for a period of up to 20 working days. It would
eliminate the guarantee of child care for parents on aid attending job
training. This bill would reduce significantly the safety net for G.A.
recipients. The bill makes numerous changes to child support law
including requiring that paternity be established as a condition of
aid.

SB 1150 - Monteith - (as introduced): General Assistance
Existing law requires each county to provide aid and health care to
indigent persons who are not supported by other means, with these
programs being commonly referred to as general assistance programs.
This bill would revise those requirements to require each county to
provide emergency medical services and those medical services necessary
to alleviate severe pain to all eligible individuals, and would
authorize any county to provide any level of aid or assistance in
addition to those services, and would make conforming changes.

SB 1167 - Hurtt - (as introduced): Personal income tax law: Bank and
corporation tax law/jobs credit/eligible wages
Until January 1,1994, a credit was included in an amount equal to 10
percent of the amount of wages paid to an employee who is certified by
the Employment Development Department to meet the requirements of a
certain statute dealing with registration under the Greater Avenues for
Independence Act of 1985. This bill would reinstate this credit. This
bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

SB 1185 - Solis (as amended 5/01/97): AFDC/TANF: Domestic violence
This bill seeks to provide protections for domestic violence survivors
who receive or apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
program in compliance with the new federal welfare law. This bill
would: refer applicants and recipients of assistance to supportive
services for domestic violence survivors and assess individuals' needs
so program requirements can be tailored appropriately; allow waivers of
program requirements for domestic violence survivors, including but not
limited to work and education requirements, lifetime limits, residency
requirements; and teen recipients living with parents. This bill would
provide good cause exceptions to paternity establishment and child
support cooperation would be broad and good cause determination would
rest with the TANF worker. This bill would provide assistance to
immigrant battered women by not denying them benefits while they are
attempting to corroborate their immigration status; require proof,
which may be satisfied by the recipients' own affidavits, to establish
battering to qualify for all waivers, exemptions, etc. and establish
procedures to address confidentiality and safety needs of violence
victims. This bill would provide job readiness activities such as such
as abuse counseling, medical, legal and other support services for
abuse survivors.

SB 1226 - Watson - (as introduced): Public service employment
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to
select and contract with counties to operate the Opportunities for
Public Service (OPS) program, pursuant to which adult recipients of
AFDC who have been actively seeking work for a minimum of 12 months
would be eligible to receive a job in the public or nonprofit sector.
The bill would require the department to allocate specified federal
TANF funds for the operation of the program. The bill would require
county welfare departments to review progress on each assignment and
assist participants with necessary supportive services. The bill would
require the department to evaluate the program.

SB 1232 - Watson - (as introduced): AFDC/TANF
This is the TANF implementation plan developed by a coalition of
children's and anti-poverty advocates. This bill would make numerous
changes to the AFDC program. It provides for a statewide electronics
transfer system to be implemented for the delivery of food stamp and
AFDC benefits; requires that the first $100 plus 50% of a family's
earned income would be exempt in determining AFDC eligibility; and
would apply the auto and other asset resource limit provisions to both
applicants and recipients. This bill also would allow certain business
expenses to be deducted in determining AFDC eligibility for self-
employed recipients. This bill would change reporting requirements,
require that aid be determined on a concurrent basis, and merge Food
Stamp program eligibility requirements with AFDC eligibility over time.
This bill also would include nontraditional jobs for women as part of
the GAIN program, authorize subsidized employment, and microenterprise
training and support. This bill would increase GAIN job search from 3
weeks to 6 weeks and provide that, in a pre-employment preparation or
work experience assignment, payment may be made as a wage. This bill
would make a person with a drug-related conviction or who is found to
be still dependent upon alcohol or drugs, eligible for AFDC benefits if
in treatment; would provide that an eligible family in need of short-
term assistance may receive a lump-sum diversion payment and impose
conditions on the receipt of these payments; permit a single custodial
parent who is an AFDC recipient to elect to have a child support
assurance payment made on behalf of the child, rather than a cash
assistance payment; permit an AFDC applicant or recipient to receive a
direct child care subsidy when necessary to accept or retain
employment, and enact a 60-month eligibility limitation, subject to
specified exemptions. However, the limit would not apply if the parent
was fully cooperating with all work-related requirements. This bill
would, under specified circumstances, exempt victims of domestic
violence from the requirement to assign his or her rights to child
support, as well as to comply with other conditions relating to the
collection of that support and provide that the first $100 of child
support per month be paid to the family. Also, this bill would
continue to provide AFDC/TANF aid to legal immigrants and indigent
families with children.

SB 1235 - Watson - (as introduced): Human services (Spot Bill)
The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act of 1996 prescribes requirements for allocating federal funds to
states for social service programs for needy individuals and their
families. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to
revise specified programs and systems to conform to that federal act -
urgency

SB 1239 - Watson - (as introduced): Public assistance: drug offenses
This bill would exempt certain persons from the federal requirement
that, unless a state elects otherwise, an individual convicted of a
felony offense related to drug possession, use, or distribution is
ineligible for AFDC and Food Stamp Program benefits.

SB 1263 - Calderon - (as introduced): Public assistance: employment
This bill would appropriate from the federal Trust Fund to the State
Department of Social Services, out of moneys derived from the TANF
block grant, the sum of $1 billion dollars for allocation to counties
to provide funding to private charitable organizations within those
counties for the provision of employment placements for AFDC
recipients.

SB 1276 - Committee on Health and Human Services - (as introduced):
TANF/GA
This bill would make numerous changes to AFDC law including permitting
the department, if a county elects not to administer the AFDC program,
to contract with a private organization for that purpose, or require
the department to administer a program where it is unable to secure a
contractor; limiting the earned income disregard taken into
consideration in determining eligibility to a 12-month period, and
would permit, for an additional 12-month period, the exemption of the
initial $15 and 1/6 of the remaining earned income; exempting certain
persons from required participation in the GAIN program; make various
changes in GAIN, including requirements that the range of services
available to a recipient is dependent upon the number of months that he
or she has received aid. The bill would expand the requirement that an
individual must, as a condition of eligibility, participate in
community service employment if he or she is not employed in
unsubsidized employment after receiving aid for a period of 24 months.
This bill would establish differing aid grant levels for those who have
received aid for a period of 60 months. This bill would permit former
recipients to receive employment retention services for one year after
ceasing AFDC benefits. It would also, with certain exceptions, limit
the length of time a person could receive general assistance to a total
period of 24 months; appropriate funds for allocation to each county
for a share of the cost of aid grant and administrative costs of the
general assistance programs; require general assistance recipients to
participate in the GAIN program; require, as a condition of
eligibility, that a general assistance recipient work for at least 15
hours per week in community service employment after 3 months on aid.
The bill would provide that its provisions relating to county general
assistance programs would become operative on January 1, 2001.

SB 1303 - Leslie - (as introduced): TANF (Spot Bill)
Would repeal the existing AFDC program and would add intent language
regarding welfare reform.

SB 1322 - Hurtt - (as introduced): Unemployment Compensation--Benefits
This bill would eliminate a provision for the rounding of benefit
amounts and would make technical changes.

SCR 17 - Watson - (as introduced): Foster care
This measure would request the State Department of Social Services to
seek the input of foster youth across the state to advise the
department on approaches to improving the foster care system. This
measure would encourage the department, in consultation with county
independent living programs, to identify methods of making transitional
housing services available to an increased number of foster youth.

ASSEMBLY BILLS

AB 2 - Ashburn - (as introduced): TANF Payment
In implementing TANF, this bill would authorize counties to make direct
payments to vendors on behalf of recipients that receive aid.

AB 20 - Migden - (as introduced): TANF (Spot Bill)
This bill states legislative intent to provide a system of public
social services for needy families under the new federal welfare law.

AB 67 - Escutia - (as introduced): IHSS
This bill would allow persons who became ineligible for IHSS benefits
due to federal law, who would be eligible for benefits but for the
federal law, to be eligible for benefits under the IHSS program -
urgency.

AB 72 - Knox - (as introduced): Naturalization
This bill would require CDSS to allocate funds to counties for
citizenship assistance centers, in order to provide elderly disabled
refugees with assistance to become US citizens so they may be eligible
for benefits. Appropriates $400,000 General Funds for FY 97-98.
Centers would be required to seek funds from local governments and
private sources - urgency.

AB 83 - Villaraigosa - (as introduced): State Income taxes--credit,
earned income
This bill would provide a credit in an amount equal to an unspecified
percentage of the earned income credit allowed by federal law, as
provided.

AB 98 - Olberg - (as introduced): Maximum/Flat Grant
This bill would limit the maximum aid payment a family may receive
under the AFDC program to an amount equal to the state minimum wage.
AB 113 - Olberg - (as introduced): General Assistance
This bill would specify that any person who becomes ineligible for AFDC
or TANF aid due to noncompliance or the expiration of the period of
eligibility, shall not be eligible for benefits under county general
assistance programs.

AB 147 - Runner - (as introduced): Child Support
This bill would make the family ineligible for AFDC benefits if the
applicant or recipient fails to assign rights to support, and require
the family's grant to be reduced by 25% for failure to cooperate in
establishing paternity or obtaining support. Requires the district
attorney to verify an applicant's or recipient's refusal to offer
reasonable cooperation or assistance for good cause.

AB 194 - Wright - (as introduced): TANF -- Relative caretakers
This bill would exempt relative caregivers from meeting federally
mandated employment or training requirements for AFDC recipients.

AB 232 - Honda - (as introduced): Naturalization
This bill states legislative intent to allocate funds to local programs
for the provision of citizenship assistance for those persons who would
lose eligibility for SSI/SSP and food stamps benefits under the new
federal welfare law.

AB 282 - Torlakson - (as introduced): TANF --Rent assistance
This bill would provided that a recipient of aid under the TANF program
who fulfills all program requirements, but who is unable to secure
employment after the time limit on aid has expired, shall be eligible
to receive a monthly rent voucher in the amount of the median rent in
the county in which the recipient resides.

AB 302 - Runner - (as introduced): TANF --Time limit/tax credit
This bill would provide that the time that an AFDC or TANF recipient
discontinues receiving aid because that former recipient is being cared
for by an individual who is receiving a tax credit provided by this
bill, shall count against that recipient's maximum time period of
eligibility for AFDC/TANF at the rate of 50%.

AB 326 - Ortiz, Ducheny, Mazzoni - (as introduced): GAIN: employment
This bill would require the State Department of Education to allocate
funding to 3 counties for the establishment of after-school literacy
and recreation pilot projects. These programs would be required to
employ GAIN recipients and would be encouraged to employ teens who are
in families that receive AFDC benefits.

AB 419 - Baca - (as introduced): Community Colleges Spot Bill
This bill sets forth requirements of the California Community Colleges
to train students who receive AFDC to make the transition from welfare
to work.

AB 470 - Ducheny - (as introduced): Earned income tax credit (EITC)
This bill would provide a credit for each taxable year beginning on or
after January 1, 1997, in an amount equal to 15% of the federal earned
income tax credit.

AB 479 - Pringle - (as introduced): Bank and corporation taxes: rate
This bill would provide that for any income year beginning on or after
January 1, 1998, the franchise or income tax rate shall be reduced as
specified. The Bank and Corporation Tax Law provides for the levy of
an alternative minimum tax in conformity with federal law, subject to
certain modifications that include a tentative minimum tax. The Bank
and Corporation Tax Law imposes a tentative minimum tax rate of 7% for
any income year beginning on or after January 1, 1997. This bill would
reduce that tentative minimum tax rate as specified for income years
beginning on or after January 1, 1998.

AB 501 - Migden - (as introduced): SSI/SSP
This bill would provide that persons who are ineligible to receive SSI
benefits solely as a result of being a legal immigrant are entitled to
receive state supplementation under the SSP program.

AB 502 - Ducheny (as introduced): Child Welfare Services
This bill would require the state to continue funding child welfare
services for children who are not lawfully present in the state.

AB 559 - Villaraigosa - (as introduced): Sales, use, income, and bank
and corporation taxes: exemptions and credits: evaluation
This bill would provide that the Legislative Analyst in consultation
and cooperation with the Department of Finance and the State Board of
Equalization or the Franchise Tax Board shall conduct an accountability
evaluation for each sales and use tax exemption and each income and
franchise tax credit, as applicable, and that all exemptions and
credits operative, as provided, shall become inoperative, unless an
accountability study has been conducted and the operative date extended
by a later enacted statute.

AB 621 - Lempert- (as introduced): Community colleges--welfare reform
This bill would declare that it is the intent of the Legislature to
implement the employment and training requirements of the federal
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
by maximizing the use of the cost-effective educational and vocational
programs offered by the California Community Colleges. In addition,
the bill would appropriate an unspecified sum from the General Fund to
the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for the purposes of
implementing the employment and training requirements of the federal
act.

AB 654 - Martinez - (as introduced): State Supplemental Program:
ineligibility: tax credits
This bill would provide that any person who is made ineligible for
state SSP benefits due to federal Public Law 104-193 shall be entitled
to a rebate of a share of state taxes he or she has paid in an amount
equal to the percentage of those taxes that are attributable to the
amount expended for SSP payments. This bill also provides for a
refundable income tax credit in that amount, plus interest, against
state income taxes, and provides that to the extent the credit exceeds
any taxes due, it shall be refunded. The bill would take effect
immediately as a tax levy.

AB 656 - Aroner - (as introduced): Education--Child care
This bill would provide for a planning council consisting of at least
one publicly funded child care provider, 2 private child care
providers, at least one provider exempt from licensing, one Head Start
provider, at least one child development expert, participant parents
who use child care services (including at least one parent who is
participating in the TANF program) and a representative of the county
welfare department. This bill would require that a community child
care plan be approved by the affirmative vote of members of a local
planning council.

AB 718 - Lempert - (as introduced): County Administration
This bill would authorize counties to adopt and implement a program in
which the county shall assume all responsibilities for the
administration of specified public assistance programs. The bill would
provide for funding of the programs pursuant to a block grant
determined pursuant to an agreement between the county and the State
Department of Social Services. The bill would require participating
counties to report to the department annually on the program, and would
require the department to report to the appropriate committees of the
Legislature.

AB 773 - Honda - (as introduced): Employment training
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to authorize Santa
Clara County to operate a 5-year pilot project to provide employment
services to welfare recipients and low-income families.

AB 740 - Washington - (as introduced): AFDC/TANF
This bill would provide that the time a recipient of AFDC or TANF
spends in a substance abuse treatment program shall not count against
that recipient's maximum time period for eligibility. The bill would
also authorize counties to contract with nonprofit organizations that
operate integrated, planned approaches to service delivery to
participants in the GAIN program.

AB 822 - Aroner - (as introduced): Cal-Learn Program
This bill would permit an otherwise eligible parent or pregnant woman
19 years of age, who participates in the Cal-Learn Program prior to
becoming 19 years of age, to continue participating in the program.

AB 848 - Cunneen - (as introduced): Child care
This bill would require rules, regulations, and guidelines pursuant to
the Child Care and Development Services Act to facilitate the funding
and reimbursement procedures required by the Act and to permit
reimbursement for interest paid by contractors on private sector debt
financing for the purchase, repair, or renovation of child care and
development facilities owned or leased by contractors.

AB 971 - R. Wright - (as introduced): Child care
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to expand current
child care and development programs to accommodate the increased need
for child care resulting from the federal Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

AB 1006 - Committee on Human Services - (as introduced): SSI/TANF/GA
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature, pursuant to
enactment of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996, to find innovative ways to improve the
structure of social services for individuals in need of public
assistance, to assist public aid recipients to become self-sufficient,
protect children, aged, disabled, and blind individuals, and other
vulnerable populations, and to promote administrative flexibility and
accountability.

AB 1008 - Kaloogian - (as introduced): General assistance benefits:
substance abuse screening.
This bill would eliminate the requirement that the county find that
there is a reasonable suspicion that the individual is dependent upon
illegal drugs or alcohol.

AB 1045 - Knox - (as introduced): AFDC benefits--individual
development accounts.
This bill would permit establishment of individual development
accounts, as defined, with the money in these accounts to be used
exclusively for specified purposes. Money deposited in these accounts
could not be considered in determining AFDC or other public social
services program eligibility by AFDC recipients. By increasing amounts
of income that will not be considered in determining AFDC recipient
eligibility, the bill increases the class of persons eligible for the
AFDC program.

AB 1050 - Mazzoni - (as introduced): Education: welfare reform/adult
education
This bill would authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in
conjunction with the State Board of Education, to waive provisions of
statutes and regulations that are in conflict with the provision of
services necessary for otherwise eligible recipients of public
assistance, as specified. Also, revises data collection for daily
attendance for all high school districts and unified school districts
that operate and claim adult education state apportionment. This bill
would provide that pregnant and parenting teens who qualify to receive
benefits as determined pursuant to the federal Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 shall not be included in these
calculations.

AB 1073 - Cardoza - (as introduced): Aid payments--statewide automated
system
This bill would require the state to pay the automated welfare system
costs to be paid by Merced County until September 30, 1998, or until
Merced County has converted its caseload to a statewide automated
welfare consortia system, whichever occurs later.

AB 1112 - Gallegos - (as introduced): Health Care
This bill would establish a program to be known as California Health,
in which all Californians could enroll, with certain persons being
eligible for all or part of the cost of coverage. Benefits would be
the same as those provided under the Medi-Cal program. This bill
would, in accordance with federal law, eliminate the need for a
resource requirement when determining eligibility under this category
for children 18 years of age or under.

AB 1135 - Mazzoni - (as introduced): Child care--family support
This bill would establish the "Parent Services Project: Family Support
in Child Care and Development Programs" under which the Superintendent
of Public Instruction, in conjunction with the Secretary of Child
Development and Education, would award grants to child care providers
that contract with the State Department of Education for the purpose of
establishing family support programs in child care and development
centers. Priority for participation in family support programs would
be given to vulnerable families, as defined. The services offered by a
family support program would include, among other things, early
detection and referral for child, spousal, and substance abuse, English
as a second language and citizenship classes, respite or sick care,
workshops, classes, and training designed to develop parenting,
employment, and self-improvement skills. The bill would state the
intent of the Legislature to appropriate $1,500,000 in the 1997-98
fiscal year from the General Fund to the State Department of Education
for the purpose of the "Parent Services Project: Family Support in
Child Care and Development Programs."

AB 1164 - R. Wright - (as introduced): AFDC--eligibility, employment
training
This bill would specify that any otherwise eligible individual who is
enrolled in a degree or certificate program either full time or part
time and meets other work activity requirements shall be eligible for
TANF benefits, and shall be eligible for child care and transportation
services. This bill would appropriate an unspecified sum from the
Federal Trust Fund to the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges for the purposes of coordinating and implementing the federal
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
with respect to the educational services provided to recipients of AFDC
program benefits who are attending community college. The bill would
also declare the intent of the Legislature to have California Community
Colleges serve as the vehicle to provide necessary employment training
to recipients of AFDC program benefits.

AB 1185 - Knox - (as introduced): Job training: loan assistance/ETP
This bill would authorize the department to provide job training loan
assistance through credit enhancements and borrower assistance up to
unspecified limits for educational and job training loans made by a
financial institution to employers or other department-approved
entities, as specified. The bill would provide that funds may be
appropriated to the department from the Employment Training Fund for
these purposes.

AB 1194 - Villaraigosa - (as introduced): Human services
This bill would require that funds available to the state and its
political subdivisions for public social services programs, shall be
administered by employees under a civil service merit system of the
state. The bill would also apply various protections given to workers
and GAIN participants to any other employment program under AFDC. The
bill would also require the department to ensure the accountability of
funds expended pursuant to GAIN or any other employment and training
programs for AFDC recipients, by prohibiting authorization for payment
by voucher or any other form of prepayment for job and training
services under standards other than those established under a
vocational program specified in existing law - urgency.

AB 1197 - Villaraigosa - (as amended 04/15/97): Health and social
services
This bill would provide that those aliens ineligible for the full scope
of Medi-Cal benefits due to their alienage status would be eligible to
receive long-term care and renal dialysis services. It would also
require the state to seek federal funding for these long-term care
services. This bill would specify that persons who are ineligible for
IHSS benefits due to the federal law, would be eligible for those
benefits but for that federal law, and continue to meet eligibility and
disability requirements, shall be eligible for benefits under the IHSS
program. This bill, by requiring the provision of IHSS benefits to
persons otherwise ineligible for IHSS benefits, would result in a
state-mandated local program; would revise the eligibility requirement
for personal care services under the Medi-Cal program to include any
other category that would be eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal
benefits without a share of cost or any person eligible under the
medicaid program but for the provisions of the federal law. This bill
would also require the State Department of Social Services to establish
a program for those legal immigrants losing SSI/SSP eligibility due to
Public Law 104-193, in order to provide them with the same level of
cash assistance to which they would have been entitled under that
program.

AB 1210 - R. Wright - (as introduced): Welfare reform--parenting
education
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to require, as part
of any new county service plan for welfare recipients under new welfare
reform law, that appropriate educational training be available to all
recipients to encourage healthy brain development and language skills
during the first 3 years of an infant's life and to provide basic
parenting skills.

AB 1232 - Granlund - (as amended 5/07/97): Personal Income Tax Law:
Bank & Corporation Tax Law: jobs credit: eligible wages
This bill would give businesses an annual tax credit of up to $2,500
for each employee hired off welfare rolls. The bill would allow a
maximum aggregate credit of $2,500 for all taxable or income years for
each eligible individual.

AB 1262 - Martinez - (as introduced): State Supplemental Program--
ineligibility, tax credits
This bill would authorize a credit against those taxes for each taxable
and income year beginning on or after January 1, 1998, to any person
whose eligibility for benefits under the SSP program terminates due to
the disqualification of qualified aliens for federal SSI benefits by
federal Public Law 104-193, of a share of state taxes they have paid in
an amount equal to the percentage of those taxes that are attributable
to the amount expended for payments under the SSP program for the
entire period commencing on the first payment made by that person in
income taxes. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

AB 1305 - Granlund - (as introduced): Public social services--
administration
This bill would provide that where information exists that a recipient
used the aid furnished to him or her for the purchase or manufacture of
a controlled substance, a recipient may be questioned as to the
possible use of aid for this purpose with the responses being provided
to the county welfare fraud investigation unit. The bill would also
make it a felony, with specified penalties, for any person who receives
public social services benefits to use these benefits to purchase,
manufacture, or otherwise acquire a controlled substance. This bill
would provide that, except under specified circumstances, the county
district attorney may administer any county unit charged with the
investigation of public social services fraud. The bill would specify
welfare fraud unit duties and staffing levels and requirements, and
would require that funding for these units be from a combination of
state and federal funds. This bill also would require all state,
county, and local agencies, on request, to supply to any county welfare
fraud investigator with specified information. This bill would repeal
certain provisions relating to restitution actions in cases involving
improper receipt of public assistance benefits.

AB 1326 - Prenter - (as introduced): Aid for needy families--
eligibility limits
This bill would limit the period of eligibility for state family
assistance under AFDC/TANF programs.

AB 1345 - Alquist - (as introduced): Alquist Electronic Benefits
Transfer Act
This bill would enact the Alquist Electronic Benefits Transfer Act, to
establish 2 pilot projects for electronic benefits transfers. The bill
would provide for the administration of the projects by the State
Department of Social Services, and would apply to the distribution of
AFDC, WIC, and food stamp benefits. The bill would require that the
pilot projects be implemented in accordance with specified criteria,
and would state legislative intent that any additional funds required
for implementation of the pilot projects be provided in the Budget Act.

AB 1391 - Goldsmith - (as introduced): Foster care--provider
reimbursement
This bill would delete the requirement of the reimbursement of foster
care providers under the state's AFDC program, and the requirement of
the State Department of Social Services to report to the Legislature by
December 31, 1990, on the department's specialized care ratesetting
system regarding its effectiveness in meeting the special needs of
children in foster care.

AB 1396 - Bustamante - (as introduced): Welfare reform--food
commodities
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to establish an
independent statewide advisory board to consider issues related to
changes in federal commodities programs.

AB 1400 - Ashburn - (as introduced): Human Services
This bill would make numerous changes to child support statutes. It
would revise the procedures for the determination of paternity and for
the enforcement of parental financial obligations, and would provide
for the establishment of a State Disbursement Unit by the State
Department of Social Services, for the collection of support
obligations. This bill would recast the state AFDC program as the TANF
program, and would revise program eligibility and benefit requirements
and procedures for the administration of the program. This bill would
require counties to require a parent or other adult in an assistance
unit receiving temporary assistance for needy families to participate
in job club or job search activities for a period of up to 20 working
days.

AB 1401 - Battin -(as introduced): Assistance for families and
children
This bill would recast the state AFDC program as the TANF program, and
would revise program eligibility and benefit requirements and
procedures for the administration of the program. This bill would
provide for 24 months of transitional child care for former recipients
of temporary aid for needy families in certain circumstances.

AB 1402 - Olberg - (as introduced): Temporary aid limitations
This bill would establish eligibility and work participation
limitations on provisions relating to the provision of aid to needy
families in the implementation of funding under an unspecified program.

AB 1403 - House - (as introduced): Aid to needy families
This bill would deny eligibility for benefits under an unspecified
program with respect to any assistance unit that includes a child for
whom school attendance is compulsory if the child is not enrolled in
school or if the child is a truant, and would deny eligibility to any
assistance unit with a child who is not required to enroll in school
unless the child has received immunizations recommended for a child of
that age or the caretaker relative has filed an affidavit with the
county welfare department containing a statement that the immunization
of the child is contrary to his or her beliefs.

AB 1404 - Runner - (as introduced): Human Services
This bill would revise procedures for the determination of paternity
and for the enforcement of parental financial obligations, and would
provide for the establishment of the State Disbursement Unit by the
State Department of Social Services, for the collection of support
obligations. This bill would specify eligibility requirements under
the TANF program with respect to the determination of paternity of
children for whom aid is sought.

AB 1405 - Bordonaro - (as introduced): Aid to dependent families
This bill would require a health and safety assessment of children in
an assistance unit receiving aid under an unspecified program prior to
aid to that assistance unit is terminated. The bill would require the
establishment of a Teen Parent Program in each county, which may
incorporate provisions of an unspecified program, and, by imposing this
requirement, this bill would result in a state-mandated local program.

AB 1406 - Miller - (as introduced): Temporary assistance for needy
families
This bill would require a county to terminate the aid of any family
receiving aid under the AFDC program or the TANF program when the
parent or caretaker relative, without good cause, refuses three job
offers or resigns from three jobs, or has, in combination, a total of
three job offer refusals and job resignations.

AB 1407 - Ashburn - (as introduced): General assistance
This bill would revise the requirement that each county provide aid and
health care to indigent persons who are not supported by other means,
to consist of the requirement to provide emergency medical services and
those medical services necessary to alleviate severe pain to all
eligible individuals. It would authorize any county to provide any
level of aid or assistance in addition to those services, and would
make conforming changes

AB 1408 - Pringle - (as introduced): Medi-Cal: Long-term services--
Aliens
This bill would provide that state-funded Medi-Cal long-term care
services shall be continued on a transitional basis for the earlier of
18 months or until such time as other arrangements for the services are
secured, for those aliens not eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal
benefits and who received these services on the date prior to the
effective date of regulations adopted by the department to implement
the provisions of Public Law 104-193.

AB 1501 - Brown - (as introduced): Welfare reform (spot bill)
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact a
comprehensive welfare reform program.

AB 1510 - Morrow - (as introduced): General assistance: eligibility
This bill would add to those circumstances in which the Attorney
General and local agencies are required to furnish summary criminal
history information, any state agency, officer, or official, any city
or county, or city or county official, if the information will assist
in the eligibility determination of an applicant for, or recipient of,
federal, state, or local public social services benefits, when the
program precludes eligibility based on specified criminal conduct.
This bill would prohibit persons fleeing prosecution for, or who have
been convicted of, a felony, or those who have committed a violation of
a condition of parole or probation from being eligible for general
assistance.

Prepared by: Sara McCarthy/Senate Health and Human Services Committee
24