CalWORKs.

Existing law requires all applicants for or recipients of CalWORKs to ensure and provide documentation that each child in the assistance unit who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations, as specified.

This bill would make technical changes to the provisions regarding a parent's eligibility to receive aid as if the child or children were living with them. The bill would also specify that those provisions do not require all children to be removed from the parent or parents or that some, but not all, of the children have reunified. If a family assistance unit is cooperating in the development of, or participating in, a reunification case plan, the bill would exempt a child that has been removed from the parent or parents from specified immunization requirements. For a family assistance unit receiving state-funded CalWORKs reunification cash aid whose grant was lowered as a sanction for not cooperating with child support enforcement, as specified, the bill would require the sanction to end upon the removal of the child from the assistance unit and their placement into out-of-home care.

If an applicant applies for assistance for a child who is currently aided in another assistance unit and the county determines that the applicant has care and control of the child and is otherwise eligible, existing law requires the county to discontinue aid to the child in the existing assistance unit and aid the child in the applicant's assistance unit, as specified.

Notwithstanding the above-described requirements to discontinue aid, if a child or children have been removed from their parent or parents and are placed with an adult who, prior to the removal, was a noncustodial parent, the bill would prohibit the county from discontinuing aid to the existing assistance unit if it is otherwise eligible for CalWORKs reunification cash aid, as specified.

To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2) Existing law generally requires a recipient of CalWORKs to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility. Existing law requires the recipient and the county welfare department to enter into a written welfare-to-work plan that includes the activities and services that will move the individual into employment. Existing departmental guidance strongly encourages, for individuals receiving benefits as described in paragraph (1), counties to use a CalWORKs family reunification plan, which is the case plan developed by the county child welfare services agency for the provision of services to those individuals, in lieu of the welfare-to-work plan.

This bill would exempt an individual receiving aid or services for CalWORKs family reunification from the requirement to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility. To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3) This bill would make these provisions operative on July 1, 2027, or when the Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform any automation the department deems necessary to implement these provisions, whichever is later.

(4) Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.

This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for the purposes of implementing the bill.

(5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.