CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2712

Introduced by Assembly Member Low

February 20, 2020

An act to add Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 18992) to Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2712, as introduced, Low. California Universal Basic Income (CalUBI) Program.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services and requires the department to administer various public social services programs, including the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals, and the CalFresh program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county.
This bill would require the department, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, to administer the California Universal Basic Income Program, under which a California resident who is 18 years of age or older shall receive a universal basic income of $1,000 per month, except as specified. The bill would define universal basic income to mean unconditional cash payments of equal amounts issued monthly to individual residents of California with the intention of ensuring the economic security of recipients. The bill would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement the program, and would state the intent of the Legislature to fund the CalUBI Program with a value-added tax of 10% on goods and services, as specified.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 18992) is added to Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  13. California Universal Basic Income (CalUBI) Program

18992.
 This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Universal Basic Income Act.

18992.1.
 (a) Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, the State Department of Social Services shall administer the California Universal Basic Income (CalUBI) Program. Under the CalUBI Program, a California resident who is 18 years of age or older shall receive a universal basic income of $1,000 per month, except as specified in subdivision (b).
(b) California residents who are 18 years of age or older and receiving benefits under the Medi-Cal program, the County Medical Services Program, the CalFresh program, the CalWORKs program, or Unemployment Insurance shall not be eligible to receive a universal basic income under the CalUBI Program.

18992.2.
 For purposes of this chapter, “universal basic income” means unconditional cash payments of equal amounts issued monthly to individual residents of California with the intention of ensuring the economic security of recipients.

18992.3.
 The department may adopt regulations to implement this chapter.

SEC. 2.

 It is the intent of the Legislature to fund the CalUBI Program with a value-added tax of 10 percent on goods and services, except medicine, medical supplies and equipment, educational materials, including textbooks, tuition or fees for education, food, groceries, and clothing.