Public Social Services

Public Social Services Legislation

 

 

 

Public Social Services Legislation

SB 159* (Rainey-R) Children: placement

Establishes the Concurrent Planning-Foster Care Cost Reduction program requiring the Director of Social Services to designate Contra Costa County and up to two additional counties as pilot counties for the implementation of a concurrent planning model demonstrating the most effective means of increasing the number of adoptions and decreasing the time needed to finalize adoptions. Sunsets January 1, 2004.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 166 (Solis-D) Community colleges: work study

Appropriates $21,499,500 from the General Fund to the California Community Colleges in order to expand work-study programs for community college students who are recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 167 (Solis-D) Community colleges: child care

States legislative intent to expand access to child care services for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) who are attending community college. Appropriates $10.2 million from the General Fund to the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for allocation for the purpose of providing child care services to the children of students of community colleges who are recipients of TANF.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 168 (Solis-D) Community colleges

Appropriates $53.2 million to the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for purposes of expanding, coordinating and implementing education services for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families who are attending community college, including the expansion of child care services, work-study programs and job development and placement.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 169 (Solis-D) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: work activities

Specifies conditions under which parents would meet work participation requirements under the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 279 (Burton-D) Orphan asylums

Authorizes the Governor to establish a system of state orphan asylums to provide services to eligible children deprived of adequate care and for whom state or local aid in an amount sufficient to provide adequate care is not available. Requires the State Department of Social Services to provide direct gruel services in the orphan asylums, and prohibits the department from contracting for the provision of gruel unless the contract is approved by the Governor. Requires a report of the contract to be submitted to the appropriate committees of the Legislature.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 285 (Watson-D) Human services

Implements numerous changes to address the new federal welfare reform law including the following elements: Welfare-to-work services, hours of work activities required, time limits on aid, community service employment, safety net grant, exemptions from work requirements, temporary deferrals from participation, good cause and conciliation, anti-displacement of current workers, family violence option, child support, statewide child support registry, employment training panel, welfare fraud and child care.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 293 (Thompson-D) Human services

Implements numerous provisions to implement the new federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families law including the following elements: county plans, transportation, job creation, electronic benefit transfers, county allocations, performance outcome monitoring, general assistance, food stamps, American Indian tribes, eligibility issues, county demonstration projects, and evaluation of the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids implementation.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 341 (Watson-D) Domestic violence training

Establishes a statewide domestic violence and sexual abuse training curriculum for all state and county employees, contractors and subcontractors who work with applicants for, and recipients of, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program or any successor program.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 361 (Dills-D) Community care facilities

Requires the owner, or licensee of each facility, to provide notice to residents in the neighborhood, who reside within 500 feet of where the facility is located, of the procedure approved by the licensing agency for notification of, and immediate response to, incidents and complaints.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

SB 374 (Leslie-R) Lien: public assistance

Authorizes any state or county entity to place a lien upon more than $600 of California State Lottery winnings of those who received state or county public assistance during the preceding ten-year period. Requires recipients of, or applicants for, public assistance from the state or counties to agree to the lien, commencing January 1, 1998. Specifies that the lien should not exceed one-half of the total amount won by the recipient in the lottery.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 397 (Peace-D) Public social services: fraud

Provides an enabling perjury statute for public assistance programs without an enabling perjury statute, so that persons applying for assistance under these programs who intentionally misrepresent information on applications, reapplications, renewals, or monthly declaration of facts required by county welfare departments relating to eligibility for public benefits, may be prosecuted for perjury.

(Failed passage in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 403 (Thompson-D) California State General Assistance Program

Establishes a state supported general assistance program under which the state pays 30% of benefit payments and 85% of administrative costs. Requires counties pay the remainder. Takes the place of cash assistance under the existing general assistance program in those counties that choose to participate. Specifies a $256 monthly payment in higher-cost counties and $212 per month in lower-cost counties. Authorizes sanctions for failing to cooperate in seeking employment.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 505 (Johnston-D) AFDC: employment and training services

Makes significant changes to the Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) program including:

1. Modifying the GAIN exemption and deferral criteria and process.
2. Narrowing the allowable job training/education activities under GAIN to be similar to those listed in the new federal law, especially limiting options for education beyond a high school diploma.
3. Revising provisions for an assessment and employability contract between the participant and the county that determines the participant's training options and support services.
4. Revising child care provisions of GAIN to change reimbursement rates to an unspecified portion of cost of care for the region.
5. Revising GAIN good cause and sanction provisions and eliminating provisions for appeal and conciliation of disputes between the county and the participant on program issues.
6. Modifying the GAIN "anti-displacement" language.
7. Establishing a new job retention service.

Also allows counties to operate "Alternative Welfare to Work Programs" in place of a GAIN program; establishes a new program, the "Job Site Assistance Program," to allow the State Department of Social Services to enter into contracts with nonprofits for temporary job placements for Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients; and establishes a new up-front "diversion" program allowing recipients to avoid going on aid by receiving up to three months' aid as a lump sum in order to address a family financial crises.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 528 (Watson-D) Los Angeles County: SSI/SSP pilot project

Requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a pilot project in Los Angeles County to conduct a face-to-face hearing with a department administrative law judge, upon reconsideration of a disability determination for purposes of Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled (SSI/SSP) benefits, using the same criteria as is used in the federal administrative law judge hearing process. Requires Los Angeles County to seek funds, other than state, for implementation of the pilot project.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 604* (Watson-D) Food Assistance Program

Takes various actions to preserve food stamps and other benefits for legal immigrants, including:

1. Specifying that farm workers entering California from other states are not considered new applicants for aid and therefore ineligible.
2. Presumptively qualifying special agricultural workers for food stamps.
3. Providing food stamps to immigrants who have applied for citizenship or are unable to complete the naturalization process.
4. Limiting benefits to adults to 50% of what federal food stamps would have been.
5. Establishing a Food Purchasing Fund, continuously appropriated to make supplemental food available to soup kitchens and food banks.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 607* (Wright-R) Child welfare services

Extends the operative date for the permanent Family Preservation Program from July 1, 1997 to July 1, 1999, and the sunset date from January 1, 1998 to January 1, 2000.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 616 (Sher-D) Children: foster care and adoption

States legislative findings regarding the growth in numbers of children in foster care and reduction in the rate of exits from the foster care system, successful family reunification efforts depending on foster home availability, and the dearth of foster and adoptive families resulting in expensive out-of-county group home placements for abused and neglected children.

States legislative intent to increase the number of foster and adoptive families available to each participating county through a regional collaborative effort that maximizes resources and reduces duplication of effort.

(Died at Assembly Desk)

SB 685 (Monteith-R) Aid: fraud

Expresses legislative intent to implement fraud prevention and detection systems appropriate to a revised Aid to Families with Dependent Children program or its successor.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 809* (Johnston-D) Benefits: aged, blind, and disabled persons

Specifies that persons ineligible for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) benefits under federal law shall continue to be eligible for benefits under the IHSS program. Provides for cash benefits to an alien who receives federal Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled benefits on or after August 22, 1996 and whose benefits are terminated due to federal law.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 830 (Alpert-D) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS): provider payments

Requires that payments to providers of IHSS not be reduced to reflect the recipient's share of cost for the services.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 832 (Maddy-R) County social services: job training contracts

Authorizes contracts with public employee organizations, non-profit community based service organizations or private commercial companies for the administration of public social services in the county. Requires the county to solicit competitive bids in the event that the county fails to meet requirements set in statute regarding welfare reform. Authorizes contracts for job training services in the administration of social service requirements under the new federal welfare law.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 904 (Lee-D) Food stamp benefits

Requires the State Department of Social Services to submit a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on behalf of a county, Indian reservation or rancheria for a waiver of the federal requirement limiting able-bodied adults without dependents between ages 18 and 50 to receive Food Stamps for only three months within a three-year period unless they work, as defined.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 933* (Thompson-D) Foster care

The 1998-99 Budget trailer bill for the purpose of making significant changes to the foster care system in California.

Chapter 311, Statutes of 1998

SB 934 (Thompson-D) Public social services

Enacts changes in state welfare programs as recommended by the Legislative Analyst. Includes a five-year limit on aid, a six-month job search requirement, reduced income disregards, state financing for general assistance grants and a 24-month limit, and new state and county cost sharing.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 963 (Hayden-D) AFDC: eligibility: job training

Exempts the value of an automobile in counting personal property for the purposes of Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) eligibility, if the car has an equity value of less than $4,500. Exempts up to $400 per year of earned income that is spent on car repairs. Allows counties to include classes on car maintenance as part of the Greater Avenues for Independence training program.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 981 (Johannessen-R) Community care facilities

Requires the State Department of Social Services to notify the appropriate city, county, city and county, or other local jurisdiction, when an application to operate a community care facility in that local jurisdiction is received.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

SB 1001 (Hayden-D) Public social services

Requires each county to screen applicants for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in order to identify those persons with a history of having been a victim of domestic violence for referral to counseling and supportive services. Provides an exemption from Greater Avenues for Independence program and various other AFDC requirements for those identified as having such a history. Exempts persons with histories of domestic violence from having to assign to the state rights to child support paid on behalf of the children while the person is receiving assistance or to cooperate in the establishment and collection of child support.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1016* (Solis-D) Social services: county administration

Extends, by one year, existing state law that prevents the reduction of state reimbursement when a county fails to fully fund the county share of non-federal administrative costs for public social service programs as a result of county-imposed funding reductions.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee )

SB 1085 (Watson-D) CalWORKs: eligibility: small businesses

To the extent funds are provided in the annual Budget Act, creates a pilot project in which California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids recipients and other low income persons would receive self-employment training. Appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services to match private and public nonstate funds for microenterprise development.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1149 (Brulte-R) Human services

Recasts the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program as the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and revises program eligibility and benefit requirements. Includes provisions pertaining to job club or job search activities, education, transitional child care, non-cash benefits services, and emergency medical services.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 1154 (Solis-D) Individual development accounts

Requires the State Department of Social Services to implement the Individual Development Account Demonstration Project, a five-year project allowing Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients to retain cash savings in excess of the usual limits, provided the funds are used for limited purposes, including (1) business capital, (2) educational expenses, (3) job training, and (4) purchase of a residence.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1226 (Watson-D) Community service employment

Requires counties to provide paid community service employment to assist welfare recipients attempting to meet their work participation requirements under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Among other things, applies Fair Labor Standard Act provisions to community service activities, requires wages to be paid in lieu of a welfare grant, and requires that wages be comparable to what other non-welfare recipient workers are paid. Requires supportive services, including child care, to be provided to community service activity participants.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1232* (Watson-D) Aid to families with dependent children

Enacts the Family Antipoverty and Employment Program Act; and makes major changes to the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program including providing for up-front diversion, child support assurance, time limits with a safety net, changes to the earned income and child support disregards, and direct payment of child care.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1239* (Watson-D) Public assistance: drug offenses

Implements the federal option to provide an exemption to the bar against persons convicted on drug-related felonies from receiving assistance payments under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Permits felons to receive benefits if:

1. At least 24 months have elapsed since the person has fulfilled any conditions established by the court in the disposition of the criminal case.
2. The person is not a head of household.
3. The person has successfully completed a drug treatment program or is enrolled in and currently participating in one.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1276 (Senate Health And Human Services Committee) Public social services

Contains the Legislative Analyst's approach to implementing the new federal welfare reform law. Includes provisions to expand and revise the Greater Avenues for Independence program, to impose a five-year time limit on aid, to establish new state/county sharing ratios for several social service programs, to allow contracting of county administration, to implement a lower earned income disregard, and to establish a new employment retention support service.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 1384* (Burton-D) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Extends indefinitely the authority of the City and County of San Francisco to increase the wages of IHSS providers.

Chapter 42, Statutes of 1998

SB 1421 (Monteith-R) Community care facilities

Requires a residential facility that intends to house a minor who has been convicted of a serious or violent felony to provide advance notice to the local police and city council, or in unincorporated areas the sheriff and board of supervisors. Provides that failure to comply with this requirement may be used as grounds for license revocation.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 1483 (Ayala-D) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Requires county welfare departments to provide IHSS applicants and recipients with information regarding services from providers of reading services for visually impaired persons. Requires the information to be provided when the person first applies for IHSS and at any redetermination of eligibility.

Chapter 275, Statutes of 1998

SB 1525 (Alpert-D) Human services: children: home visit program

Establishes the California Families and Children Home Visit Program, administered by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of Social Services. Under this program, participating counties would receive implementation grants and operational funding to support home visiting for targeted "at-risk" families.

To implement the program, establishes a task force of state department heads to develop a proposal, to be submitted to the Legislature by November 1, 1999.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1540 (Karnette-D) Residential facilities

Requires state licensure of adult recovery maintenance facilities or "sober living homes" and requires the State Department of Social Services to develop plans regarding community care facilities.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1542 (Knight-R) Brown Bag Program

Expands eligibility for the Brown Bag Program to the extent that surplus food exists and within the limit of available funding.

Chapter 383, Statutes of 1998

SB 1587* (Alpert-D) Public social services: drug courts

The Budget trailer bill to establish the Drug Court Partnership Act. Requires the Drug Court Partnership Program to be administered by the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs for the purpose of demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of drug courts. Appropriates $8 million.

Chapter 1007, Statutes of 1998 - Item Veto

Governor item vetoed $4 million.

SB 1648 (Wright-R) Health and welfare: funding

Modifies the realignment statute by specifying the manner in which funds will be allocated from the Vehicle License Fee Growth Account, should county social service caseload growth absorb the revenues in the Sales Tax Growth Account.

Chapter 642, Statutes of 1998

SB 1674 (Alpert-D) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provider payments

Requires that payments to providers of IHSS not be reduced to reflect the recipient's share of cost for the services.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1701 (Schiff-D) Juveniles: employment training programs

Permits 16- or 17-year-old teens who are members of California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids assistance units to participate in a new Youth Employment Skills Training Program, administered by State Department of Education, provided certain requirements are met.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1744 (Johnston-D) Job training

Revises the elements of an integrated state work force development plan.

Chapter 990, Statutes of 1998

SB 1802 (Schiff-D) Targeted Family Intervention and Crime Prevention Program

Establishes the Targeted Family Intervention and Crime Prevention program for the purpose of awarding four-year grants to counties for the delivery of services that address the needs of high-risk children and families in which a parent has been incarcerated. Requires the program to be administered by the Board of Corrections. Specifies that funding shall be provided through the annual Budget Act.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1810 (Hughes-D) Elder abuse

Requires the State Department of Social Services (DSS) to implement procedures to ensure that the prevention of elder abuse, and intervention and treatment services for the protection of abused, neglected, and exploited elders, shall become very high priorities for the state. Requires DSS to pursue legislative support for a comprehensive adult protective services program and pursue the establishment and funding of a 24-hour emergency shelter for victims of elder abuse in each county. Also requires DSS to develop minimum standards for the protection of victims and potential victims of elder or dependent adult abuse with outcome measures to ensure that the protective services system effectively provides victims and potential victims with opportunities for normal development, well-being, and the capacity for independence.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 1823 (Kelley-R) Public social services: foster care and adoption

Requires counties to collect AFDC-FC overpayments made to foster family homes, except under certain conditions; and establishes an appeals and repayment process.

Chapter 733, Statutes of 1998

SB 1839 (Rosenthal-D) Healthy Families Program: expanded coverage

Expands the Healthy Families program, which provides health insurance coverage to children in low-income working families. Among its provisions:

1. Raises the income limit from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 250%.
2. Requires coverage to be provided to the parents of children enrolled in the program if the state determines it would be cost-effective to do so.
3. Authorizes the program to increase the extent of health, vision, and dental benefits.
4. Authorizes local governments to use local funds to expand the Healthy Families program in a given county.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1861 (Wright-R) CalWORKs: benefits

Changes the circumstances under which counties will be held responsible for failure to meet the federal requirement that no more than 20% of California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) recipients be exempt from the 60 month time limit. Currently, counties must pay what would have been the federal share of those cases that exceed the 20% exemption. Requires the State Department of Social Services to determine that a county has good cause for exceeding the 20% limitation if the determination is based on exemptions from the time limit that are required under state law or if the county has established reasonable policy for the exemptions where the county has discretion. Also requires the department to take into account adjustments allowed under federal law in calculating the 20% exemption.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1874 (Solis-D) Emancipated foster youth: job training pilot program

Requires the State Department of Social Services (DSS) to assist in funding three pilot projects, for a three-year period, to provide foster youth with services that allow them to lead an independent life. Requires one pilot project in northern, central and southern California in the county with the largest population of emancipated foster youth in the area. Requires participating counties to submit an interim evaluation to DSS and the Legislature after the first year, and a final evaluation no later than six months after the end of the three-year pilot project. Appropriates $125,000.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1897 (Wright-R) Child welfare services

Allows the State Department of Social Services (DSS) to reduce penalties that may be owed by the counties who participate in the family preservation program. Allows DSS to take into account any increased use of relative placements and the effect it might have on increases in the foster care caseload. Also re-institutes the provision that sunset last January to allow a county receiving annual advances under the program to request a permanent transfer of funds for ongoing operation of the program.

Chapter 1069, Statutes of 1998

SB 1946 (Watson-D) General assistance recipients: methadone maintenance

Allows counties to establish a voucher program to provide substance abuse treatment (specifically, methadone maintenance therapy) for General Assistance recipients.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1952 (Leslie-R) Child Protection: methamphetamine abuse

Requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a three-year pilot program in Butte County that demonstrates a comprehensive response to the effects of methamphetamine abuse and its effect on children. Requires the pilot program to provide services to 100 targeted families with children who are environmentally exposed to methamphetamine and to conduct a longitudinal study of those children.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 1955 (Peace-D) In-Home Supportive Services providers: CalWORKs recipients

Establishes pilot projects in up to five counties, for three years, to test whether pay and benefit enhancements increase the participation of California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) recipients as In-Home Supportive Services providers.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1971 (Watson-D) Residential care facilities: statewide coordination

Requires the State Departments of Social Services and Alcohol and Drug Programs to develop an assessment of the need for residential facilities, reporting the results to the Legislature by July 1, 1999. Also requires these departments, by July 1, 1999, to develop and maintain a computerized data base that includes information on residential facilities and, to the extent possible, unlicensed facilities or residences that provides some assistance to residents.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 2030 (Costa-D) Child welfare services: funding: study

Requires the State Department of Social Services to secure a contract to evaluate the child welfare services budget methodology and make recommendations to revise it.

Chapter 785, Statutes of 1998

SB 2091 (Watson-D) Dependent children

Requires the State Department of Social Services to secure a contract to evaluate the child welfare services budget methodology and make recommendations to revise it.

Chapter 75, Statutes of 1998

SB 2177 (Wright-R) Welfare reform: child care

Requires paid child care to be available for any California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids participant with a dependent child 12 years of age or younger

Double-joined with AB 2772 (Assembly Human Services Committee).

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 2180 (Watson-D) Food assistance programs

Requires counties to make employment and training programs available to able-bodied food stamp recipients so that their participation will allow them to continue to receive food stamps. Limits implementation only to the extent funding is available in the annual Budget Act.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 2190 (Polanco-D) Job training: at-risk youth

Establishes a demonstration project at nine sites to provide job training to "at-risk youth." Defines at-risk youth as persons between 16 and 22 years old and considered to be at-risk of homelessness, crime, or welfare dependency, and who lack employment skills.

Requires the State Employment Development Department to oversee the project and to prepare an evaluation by January 1, 2002.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 2196 (Vasconcellos-D) Needy families: job training

Revises the schedule of activities under the Job Creation Investment Fund provisions of the 1997 Welfare Reform Act and specifies the use of the 1998 Budget Act appropriation.

Chapter 901, Statutes of 1998

AB 5 (Bowen-D) Community care facilities

1. Eliminates the discretion of the State Department of Social Services in denying license applications or suspending or revoking the license of a community care provider who violates rules or regulations under the California Community Care Facilities Act, or who engages in conduct having an adverse impact on individuals under their care, or on the State of California.
2. Mandates suspension or revocation of an existing license of a residential care facility licensed to serve 6 or fewer minors when:

A. An individual resident of the facility is convicted as an adult, or adjudged a ward of the court pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for the commission of three or more misdemeanor or felony offenses during any six-month period.

B. Multiple residents of the facility are convicted as adults, or adjudged wards of the court pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for the commission of six or more misdemeanor or felony offenses during any 12-month period.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 72 (Knox-D) Citizenship assistance: immigrants

Provides for citizenship assistance to elderly, blind and disabled and other legal immigrants receiving public social services.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 232 (Honda-D) Citizenship assistance

Requires the State Department of Social Services to allocate an unspecified sum to counties to fund citizenship centers to help aged, blind, disabled, and other immigrants who are losing their federal Supplemental Security Income program disability and Food Stamp benefits become citizens.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 282 (Torlakson-D) Aid to families with dependent children

Provides that recipients of aid under Temporary Assistance to Needy Families who fulfill all program requirements are eligible for monthly housing assistance equal to the difference between their monthly rent and 30% of their income.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 295 (Oller-R) Public social services benefits: eligibility

Provides that any individual who is convicted of a crime involving fraudulent conduct or controlled substances, including any determination made on the basis of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or any individual found, by a court or pursuant to a public social services administrative hearing, to have engaged in fraudulent conduct relating to the receipt or attempted receipt of any public social services benefits, shall be ineligible to receive any public social services benefits, except as provided by federal law.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 382* (Ducheny-D) Needy families: job training

Enacts provisions implementing welfare-to-work programs and appropriates approximately $162 million in federal funds (which the state will receive as its first allocation in federal welfare-to-work funding) for the 1997-98 fiscal year. Appropriates $161,855,000 in federal funds.

Chapter 6, Statutes of 1998

AB 419 (Baca-D) Community colleges: job training

Requires the California Community Colleges (CCC) to provide various items related to training students who are Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients in order to move them from welfare to the workforce.

Requires the CCC, among other things, to (1) create a consortium to attract business to relocate to closed military installations, as specified; (2) increase the staff on each campus to provide a liaison with county welfare offices, as specified; (3) augment current college job development and placement staffing, as specified; and (4) increase the staffing at the chancellor's office to provide technical assistance to campuses.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 471* (Cardoza-D) Healthy Families Program

Requires dental plans participating in the Healthy Families Program to be subject to administrative cost limits and annual provider network reporting in the same manner as participating health plans, and adds a dentist to the program's Advisory Panel.

Chapter 285, Statutes of 1998

AB 502 (Ducheny-D) Child welfare services

Requires the state to continue the funding of child welfare services for children who are not lawfully present in the state.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 509 (Floyd-D) Supplement food programs

Authorizes the State Department of Health Services to implement a statewide electronic benefits transfer system for the California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Requires the State Department of Health Services to conduct a study on the implementation of this system, and to report its findings to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2000.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 654* (Martinez-D) State Supplemental Program: ineligibility: tax credits

Provides a refundable tax credit to individuals who are qualified aliens and have been disqualified from receiving Supplemental Security Income and, therefore, State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled benefits under federal reform.

(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 668* (Aroner-D) In-Home Supportive Services: personal care services funding

Requires the State Department of Health Services to apply for a federal Medi-Cal waiver to provide additional In-Home Supportive Services to disabled clients. Makes this additional benefit available when a combination of personal services and home nursing can prevent admission in a nursing home. Appropriates $250,000.

Chapter 896, Statutes of 1998

AB 696 (Aroner-D) Children's receiving centers

Appropriates $l million from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services to implement a five-site demonstration program to establish children's receiving centers that provide short-term care and supervision of neglected or abused children while their return home or other placement is considered. Requires that two of the sites be located in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties upon submission of a request by the board of supervisors. Requires the department to measure the success of the program.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 718 (Lempert-D) Child care

Increases the income eligibility threshold for subsidized child care from 75% to 85% of the state's median income in certain counties with high housing costs.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 773 (Honda-D) Public assistance: foster children: child care payments

Provides that foster family home providers would be eligible to receive supplemental Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care payments for the cost of child care for specified foster children. Requires that its provisions be implemented exclusively through state funds to the extent that federal funds are insufficient or unavailable for its implementation.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 784 (Caldera-D) Minor parents: child care

Requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a supplemental Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care payment rate for the reimbursement of maternity homes to be paid at the option of the county. Specifies the funding allocations, upon appropriation, for that purpose.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 929 (Machado-D) AFDC group home provider payment eligibility

Adds the requirement of a host county recommendation prior to the State Department of Social Services' establishing a foster care payment rate for new programs or program expansion in counties that have more wards of the court in group homes in the county than they place in their own county, other counties, or other states.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

AB 949 (Ducheny-D) Social workers

Restricts the use of the title "social worker" to those receiving a degree in social work from an accredited school.

(Died in Conference Committee)

AB 965 (Woods-R) Foster youth: payments

Requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a program for providing grants to former foster youth who are enrolled full-time in a college or a vocational program. Requires the implementation of this program through the use of state funds to the extent that federal funds are not available.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1006* (Ducheny-D) Human services

Implements numerous changes to address the new federal welfare reform law. Elements include intent of California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, lump sum aid diversion, child support assistance, overpayment recoveries, resources and automobiles, California Asset and Savings Act, unemployed parent (two-parent families), extension of cost of living adjustment and 4.9% grant reduction, child support disregard, income disregard, Cal-Learn program, self-employment training, jobs plus, domestic violence victims, disability application assistance, citizenship assistance, state-only Supplemental Security Income program, state assistance for children, In-Home Supportive Services for legal immigrants, state-only food stamps, food stamps for unemployed, program simplification, and drug reimbursement under the Medi-Cal program.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

AB 1045 (Knox-D) Individual development accounts

Creates the California Asset and Savings Demonstration Project for the purpose of encouraging individuals with incomes below 200% of poverty to save money and create individual development accounts.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1194 (Villaraigosa-D) Human services

Requires participants in California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids employment activities or pilot projects to have the same rights and workplace protection as other workers on the job site.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1197 (Villaraigosa-D) Health and social services

Provides continuation of benefits to legal immigrants who would stand to lose them due to provisions of federal welfare reform law, including long-term care in the case of documented and undocumented immigrants, state-only food stamp assistance program to meet an unspecified portion of the recipients' needs, Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled benefits for legal immigrants who qualify but were not receiving assistance as of August 22, 1996, and citizenship assistance.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1305 (Granlund-R) Public social services: administration

Requires all welfare fraud investigators to attend a training program approved by the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) and provided by the California District Attorney's Association. Requires new investigators to obtain a specialized basic certificate issued by POST within one year of hire.

(Failed passage in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 1322 (Wright-D) Foster care: kinship pilot projects

Authorizes a five-year pilot project in Los Angeles County and any other county to provide a payment to relatives who are caring for foster care children when a guardianship is established. Requires an evaluation to be prepared by the pilot county to assess the cost effectiveness of the program.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1355 (Firestone-R) Foster youth

Requires the State Department of Social Services to develop a five-year pilot project in three counties to allow the counties to contract with private non-profit agencies for employment services for foster youth who are preparing to leave the foster care system.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 1401 (Battin-R) Assistance for families and children

Restates and expands various provisions of current law regarding payments to welfare families. Provisions include providing for recipient retention of savings for specified purposes, for minor parents to live in adult supervised settings, for restricted aid payments for the protection of the child, as specified, and for transitional child care for 24 months when leaving aid for work and for 12 months when leaving aid as a result of marriage.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1402 (Olberg-R) Assistance programs

Contains the Administration's welfare reform proposal which, among other things, establishes time limits on the receipt of aid and work requirements for a public assistance program under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 1440 (Woods-R) In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) providers

Requires providers of IHSS to submit fingerprints to the State Department of Social Services for use by the State Department of Justice to perform criminal background checks effective July 1, 1999 and specifies grounds for denial of a criminal background check clearance. Sunsets January 1, 2002.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1467 (Alby-R) Community care facilities: insurance

Clarifies the scope of liability coverage by the Foster Family Home and Small Family Home Insurance Fund.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 1577* (Ducheny-D) Social services

Creates a one-year, state-only Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for children losing their SSI eligibility due to the new disability standard in federal law; and creates a state-only SSI program for elderly no longer eligible for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled due to recent federal restrictions.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1632 (Ortiz-D) Child Safety and Family Violence Protection Act of 1998

Establishes the pilot programs in Kern, Sacramento, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties, and other counties to the extent funds are available, to provide for community- and neighborhood-based social service centers. Requires the centers to be located in housing areas where there is a high concentration of families in poverty and a high number of referrals to child protective services concerning the safety and well-being of children. Requires the centers to provide oversight and supervision of families, counseling, referral to other services, and social casework services. Requires the State Department of Social Services to evaluate the pilots and report on an annual basis regarding the pilot's progress.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1654 (Aroner-D) Adoption assistance

Modifies provisions governing the Adoption Assistance Program by (1) removing a form of means testing for purposes of eligibility, amount of payment, and overpayment, and (2) changing the renewal process to an assessment of the adoption assistance agreement.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1724 (Richter-R) Foster care rates

Establishes a three-year pilot to test an alternative group home reimbursement system for up to 600 group home placements for specialized populations of children as defined.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1769 (Kuykendall-R) Community care facilities

Modifies licensing and siting procedures for community care and substance abuse recovery or treatment facilities.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 1778 (Prenter-R) General assistance

Imposes limitations on the eligibility for general assistance benefits, and limits eligibility to persons who have been citizens of the United States and who have been residents of the state for a constitutionally sufficient time to permit the county to determine their state and county residency and to verify their citizenship status.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 1790 (Bowen-D) California Conservation Corps: welfare recipients

Authorizes the California Conservation Corps to recruit welfare recipients ages 24 to 35 to participate as members provided that additional federal, state, or county funds are available to fund their support.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1801 (Davis-D) Children's services

Expands and clarifies (1) services provided by integrated children's services programs and, (2) the process for information sharing within the programs.

Chapter 509 Statutes of 1998

AB 1809 (Bowen-D) Foster care: licensure revocation or suspension

Permits a child in a group home or foster family agency, or his or her legal representative, to bring an action in the superior court in which the facility is located, for revocation or suspension of the facility's license or an assessment of a civil penalty, and for attorney's fees, against the group home or foster family agency whom the child alleges to have engaged in child abuse.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1817 (Takasugi-R) Adult day health care

Amends certain provisions of the Health and Safety Code and the Welfare and Institutions Code to clarify existing law. Specifically:

1. Specifies that authority for the administration of the adult day health care program shall be defined in an interagency agreement between the State Department of Health Services (DHS) and the State Department of Aging.
2. Eliminates the limit for the grant-in-aid program.
3. Requires the use of the 911 emergency response system.
4. Provides that DHS shall evaluate the adult day care or adult day support center services concurrent with the inspection of an Aid to Families with Dependent Children facility, using a single survey process.

Chapter 151, Statutes of 1998

AB 1820 (Honda-D) Foster care providers: child care payments

Establishes a three-year pilot project in up to five counties, administered by the State Department of Social Services, to provide supplemental child care payments to licensed foster family homes under specified conditions. Names San Joaquin, San Diego and Santa Clara Counties as three of the participating counties.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1847 (Ortiz-D) Food stamps: fraud: penalties

Requires the court, if a violation of provisions relating to food stamps is committed by means of an electronic transfer of benefits, depending on the amount of the benefits involved, to impose additional terms in state prison. Also prohibits probation from being granted to any person who violates certain provisions relating to food stamps when the violation has been committed by means of an electronic transfer of food stamp benefits and the amount of the benefits exceeds $100,000.

(Died in Assembly Public Safety Committee)

AB 1866* (Honda-D) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Requires the state to pay the same share of cost for IHSS provided by a public authority or nonprofit consortium as it pays for other forms of IHSS delivery.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

AB 1961 (Aroner-D) Public assistance: child support services

Provides custodial and noncustodial parents with the right to a state fair hearing under the existing State Department of Social Services' hearing process to address accounting, distribution and arrearage disputes with the district attorney concerning child support collections.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1983 (Campbell-R) Public assistance: calculation of aid payments

Denies the earned income disregard in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids grant computation to families where the adult or adults have been removed from the grant for failure to comply with program requirements.

(Failed passage in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 2043 (Goldsmith-R) Foster care: provider reimbursement

Provides a 19% increase in rates paid to foster family homes.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2080 (Gallegos-D) Healthy Families Program

Makes changes to the Healthy Families health insurance program for children relating to school district participation in outreach and education activities, and authorizes the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to increase health, dental and vision benefits to address appropriate services for children.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 2155 (Keeley-D) Residential care facilities for the elderly

Requires resident participation in developing a written record regarding care and services in residential care facilities for the elderly.

Chapter 660, Statutes of 1998

AB 2198 (Washington-D) Children's services: alcohol- or drug-exposed: HIV

Extends to adoptive and pre-adoptive families a program of special services, support, and training to assist them in adopting children with special conditions such as exposure to HIV or substance abuse by the mother. Currently the program is available in five counties to support foster parents' care for these children. Appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services for purposes of the bill.

Chapter 1014, Statutes of 1998

AB 2203 (Washington-D) Foster family homes: unfounded complaints

Provides that an unfounded complaint against a foster family home shall not be used as a basis for an adverse placement decision.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

AB 2254 (Cunneen-R) Welfare-to-work services program: study

Requires the Health and Welfare Agency to conduct a study to:

1. Examine the role of faith-based organizations in providing assistance to the community.
2. Determine how the state can best create an environment in which those organizations can flourish and most effectively help those in need.
3. Determine which state laws. regulations, or procedures impede the effectiveness of these organizations.
4. Provide specific recommendations about how to accommodate the programs and activities of these organizations.
5. Examine how the state can implement the federal option to implement California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids programs through contracts with charitable, religious, or private organizations.

Requires a report to the Legislature by July 1, 1999.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

AB 2286 (Scott-D) Foster parent and caregiver adoptions

Streamlines the process for relative caregivers or foster parents to adopt a child with whom the child has lived for a minimum of six months by eliminating some of the existing factors which are reviewed for adoptions.

Chapter 983, Statutes of 1998

AB 2304 (Runner-R) Minors: placement: foster care and adoption

Revises provisions relating to interethnic adoptions and foster care placement of minors to conform state law to the Federal Small Business and Job Protection Act of 1996.

(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 2313 (Bordonaro-R) Community care facilities: regional centers: records

Permits regional centers to maintain records regarding services provided to regional center consumers who receive foster care funding.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

AB 2343 (Woods-R) Automated welfare systems: child support

Broadly exempts all counties "that meet or exceed the results of the Franchise Tax Board's (FTB's) child support collection program" from the requirement created last January, pursuant to AB 1395 (Escutia), that they refer child support cases to the FTB for collection if they are more than 90 days delinquent.

Extends to October 1, 2000, the date upon which the statewide automated child support system must be operational.

(Failed passage in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 2352 (Woods-R) Human services

Changes the name of the State Health and Welfare Agency to the State Health and Human Services Agency, to more accurately reflect its mission and, in doing so, make the title of this agency more consistent with the federal government, and state Legislature policy committees. Provides that the State Department of Rehabilitation becomes one of the entities specifically named in current law as a participation in the State Job Training Coordinating Council workforce education and job training study and assessment.

Chapter 817, Statutes of 1998

AB 2373 (Cedillo-D) Public assistance

Establishes a state program for the support of indigent persons now eligible for county general relief. Establishes grant levels, income calculations, state and county financial shares, and a ceiling on county costs. Also permits screening recipients for illegal drugs of alcohol.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2401 (Shelley-D) In-Home Supportive Services: providers

Authorizes San Francisco City and County to implement a pilot project for at least three-years to implement the provision of pooled services under the In-Home Supportive Services program through a modified delivery system in no more than five HUD-subsidized senior housing facilities owned by nonprofit organizations.

Chapter 479, Statutes of 1998

AB 2412 (Woods-R) Human services: CalWORKs: employment

Permits each county to establish a subsidized employment program as a required welfare-to-work activity. Requires the program to be administered in accordance with specified requirements, and includes specified sanctions for noncompliance by California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) recipients.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 2419 (Woods-R) Office of Caregiver Background Checks

Establishes the Office of Criminal Background Checks within the Health and Welfare Agency. Requires the office to create and implement a centralized processing system with a database containing all criminal record clearance data and administration action dispositions of all participating departments, and to provide interdepartmental and employer access to the system. Also requires the State Department of Justice to provide electronic versions of criminal record clearance reports to the office for inclusion in the database.

Prohibits any person, commencing January 1, 1999, from beginning to provide services under the In-Home Supportive Services program unless he or she receives a criminal record clearance report, and requires an applicant to pay to the Office of Criminal Background Checks a fee not to exceed $10 to cover the costs associated with the processing of the report.

(Died in Assembly Public Safety Committee)

AB 2454* (Murray-D) Transportation: CalWORKs recipients

Appropriates $10 million from California's share of Temporary Assistance For Needy Families block grant funds to the State Department of Social Services for allocation to counties for the purpose of providing transportation services to California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) participants. Specifies that of the total $10 million, 25% ($2.5 million) of the funds shall be allocated to counties in rural areas in the state and 75% ($7.5 million) of the funds shall be allocated to counties in urban areas of the state.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2463 (Villaraigosa-D) Food assistance: cash assistance

Modifies the existing state-only food stamps program to provide food stamp benefits to other legal noncitizens who are ineligible for the federal food stamp program as a result of federal welfare reform.

Also establishes a state-only program to provide cash assistance to certain aged, blind, and disabled legal noncitizens who are ineligible for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled as a result of federal welfare reform.

(Died on Senate Floor)

AB 2468 (Ashburn-R) State Supplementary Program

Increases for the 1999 calendar year the State Supplementary Program cost of living adjustment by twice the amount established in existing law.

Appropriates $8.6 million to the Special Circumstances Program.

(Failed passage in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 2469 (Leach-R) CalWORKs: vouchers

Authorizes a county to issue on behalf of a recipient under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, at its option, a voucher for purposes of paying for shelter, utilities, or child care services authorized by the program.

(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 2495 (Prenter-R) Runaway Youth and Families in Crisis Project

Requires the Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP) to administer up to six grants to private nonprofit organizations in northern, central, and southern California to establish three-year pilot programs to serve runaway youth and their families. Requires grants to be awarded based on the quality of the proposals and the need for services, and to localities with a disproportionately low share of funding for shelters. Requires OCJP to monitor and evaluate the three projects and report to the Legislature. Requires a local match of 15% and funding for the project to come from money appropriated in the 1998 Budget Act.

Chapter 1065, Statutes of 1998

AB 2559 (Gallegos-D) Residential care facilities for the elderly

Requires licensed elderly residential care facilities, with 75 or more beds, to meet long-term care facilities' accessibility regulations (Group I Occupancy), except bedrooms and toilets, which must comply with specified requirements.

Also requires the State Architect to develop and submit to the Building Standards Commission for adoption into the California Building Standards Code all necessary accessibility regulations for elderly residential care facilities as required for other public use long-term care facilities.

Allows the State Architect to recover all costs to develop disabled access regulations from the State Department of General Services' Access for Handicapped Account.

(Died in Senate Local Government Committee)

AB 2563 (Aroner-D) Public social services benefits

Increases grant levels for the federal Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled and the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids programs.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2598 (Aroner-D) Child welfare services

Creates the Children's Health Care Services Act, a statewide system of health care for children in foster care. Specifically, requires the State Department of Health Services to develop a "universal fee-for-service Medi-Cal access card" entitling the child to a comprehensive package of Medi-Cal benefits. Specifies what the scope of the foster child Medi-Cal benefit coverage is to minimally include.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2630 (Wright-D) Public records: In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Requires state and local government agencies to disclose as a public record the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of persons paid by the state to provide IHSS and personal care services.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2634 (Aroner-D) CalWORKs: administration: eligibility and reporting

Makes the following additional reforms to California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program:

1. Eliminates the "deprivation" standard for purposes of determining eligibility for the CalWORKs program.
2. Allows CalWORKs recipients to retain an automobile for each working member of a household.
3. Eliminates monthly reporting requirements for minor changes in recipient income.
4. Makes CalWORKs recipients categorically eligible for federal Job Training Partnership Act education and training programs.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2724 (Cardenas-D) Judgments: exemptions

Makes a technical clarification that welfare payments made by direct deposit are also included on the list of payments that are exempt from attachment by judgment creditors when made by direct deposit. For purposes of this bill, defines public benefits as including general assistance payments under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, including payments for supportive services (i.e., child care, transportation costs, personal counseling and other ancillary expenses).

Chapter 290, Statutes of 1998

AB 2744 (Cardenas-D) Group homes: ratesetting

Establishes a three-year pilot project to modify point factor for employees in calculating foster care group home rates for Therapeutic Community Model providers based upon length of service and certifications.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2772 (Assembly Human Services Committee) CalWORKs: welfare-to-work activities

Makes numerous corrections to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program. Among the most significant corrections to CalWORKs are:

1. Clarifies that non-aided individuals are excluded from the calculation of the 20% federal hardship exemption.
2. Clarifies that the 18-month time limit on the receipt of CalWORKs benefits by a new applicant begins on the date the individual signs, or refuses without good cause to sign, a welfare-to-work plan.
3. Requires Cal-Learn eligible individuals to participate in Cal-Learn in lieu of welfare-to-work requirements.
4. Extends existing food stamp crimes to include electronically transferred benefits.
5. Permits the release of a CalWORKs or food stamp recipient's address, Social Security number and, if available, photograph to a federal, state or local law enforcement officer if the officer notifies the county welfare office the individual is a fleeing felon and the officer is acting in an official duty.
6. Requires the state to pay 70% of the nonfederal cost of administering the Foster Care program.
7. Changes the state's share-of-costs of CalWORKs benefits from 95% to 97.5%.
8. Incorporates into state law, new federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families requirements pertaining to the deeming of sponsors of legal immigrants; includes limited exceptions for battered spouses.
9. Makes several corrections pertaining to child care, including clarifying when eligibility for Stage 2 child care terminates.

Chapter 902, Statutes of 1998

AB 2773 (Assembly Human Services Committee) Public social services: foster care, adoption

Conforms state law to the recently enacted federal Adoptions and Safe Families Act. The federal act requires several changes intended to prevent delays in the decision by county child welfare agencies to begin to seek a permanent home for dependents other than with the child's natural parents. Appropriates $330,000.

Chapter 1056, Statutes of 1998

AB 2774 (Assembly Human Services Committee) Community care facilities

Deletes the sunset on the Transitional Housing Placement Program that provides transitional services to foster care youth ages 17 and 18 and eases the ability of counties to implement the program.

Chapter 873, Statutes of 1998

AB 2777 (Honda-D) Human services programs: In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Amends existing cost sharing ratios in IHSS to provide state funds for county negotiated wage increases with public authorities and non-profit consortiums for the provision of IHSS services.

(Died on Assembly Floor)

AB 2779* (Aroner-D) Budget Act implementation: social services

The omnibus social services Budget trailer bill makes changes to programs administered by the following departments: (1) Aging; (2) Health and Welfare Data Center; (3) Rehabilitation; (4) Drug and Alcohol Programs; (5) Employment Development Department; and (6) Social Services.

Increases the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program grant levels by 1% on January 1, 1999.

Chapter 329, Statutes of 1998

AB 2781 (Honda-D) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Permits the Budget trailer bill to extend for 1 year the authority of the State Department of Social Services (DSS) to waive a county's required match for administration of the IHSS program, provided the county meets criteria in existing law related to county economic distress, permits the county cost of IHSS administration to be absorbed by the General Fund in cases where DSS has waived the county administrative match requirement and the county administers IHSS through either a contract or a public authority, requires the annual cost of a public authority or nonprofit consortium to be shared by the state and counties at the same rate other IHSS costs are shared, requires that the state reimburse a county for the county's share of cost of any increase in wages and benefits for providers operating under a public authority, nonprofit consortium, or contract arrangement with the county, as specified, limits this state reimbursement to counties to the costs of the increase in provider wages and benefits that exceed the county's savings resulting from the federal financial participation in services provided to the medically needy aged, blind, and disabled persons and clarifies that contracts entered into by a county for the delivery of IHSS services shall be funded by the state and counties in accordance with the standard IHSS state-county sharing ratio.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2782 (Keeley-D) State Appropriations: Budget Act of 1998

Appropriates $2 million for local Food Banks to purchase food, expand refrigeration space, purchase vehicles or other equipment which will directly be used for the purchase, delivery, or distribution of food products or for other uses that will allow food banks to increase the amount of food they can receive and distribute.

Chapter 953, Statutes of 1998

ACR 24 (Aroner-D) Food stamp benefits

Urges the Governor to submit a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a six-month waiver of the federal requirement that limits food stamp eligibility for unemployed persons between the ages of 18 and 50.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

ACR 114 (Machado-D) Big Brothers Big Sisters Appreciation Week

Proclaims the week of April 19 to April 25, 1998, as Big Brothers Big Sisters Appreciation Week.

Resolution Chapter 31, Statutes of 1998

AJR 45 (Pringle-R) SSI/SSP recipients

Memorializes the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation to preserve the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program (SSI/SSP) for the Aged, Blind and Disabled benefits of certain people from Southeast Asia, either by easing their burdens on their attainment of citizenship, or by the creation of an exemption that recognizes their status as allies of the United States.

(Died in Assembly Rules Committee)