Bill Text: CA AB557 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 557 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: CalWORKs: victims of abuse.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-10-12 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 691, Statutes of 2017. [AB557 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB557-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 557

Introduced by Assembly Member Rubio

February 14, 2017

An act to amend Section 11495.12 of, and to repeal and add Section 11495.15 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalWORKs.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 557, as introduced, Rubio. CalWORKs: victim of abuse.

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families.

Existing law authorizes a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present victim of abuse when it has been determined that good cause exists, as specified. Until implementation of specified regulations, existing law authorizes a county to utilize standards, procedures, and protocols currently available and requires the county to identify them in its county plan. Existing law defines “abuse” for purposes of those provisions, until specified regulations are adopted, to include subjecting a victim to extreme cruelty by sexual abuse, mental abuse, or stalking, among other specified acts of abuse.

This bill would instead require a county to waive a CalWORKs program requirement for an applicant or recipient who is a past or present victim of abuse when the program requirement, if not waived, would place the family at risk of harm, unfairly penalize the family, or make it more difficult for the family to escape abuse. The bill would also delete the provision providing for the definition of abuse to be superseded by the adoption of regulations, thereby extending the operation of the statutory definition indefinitely, and would add economic control to the definition as an act of abuse. The bill would state related legislative findings and declarations. By increasing the duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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

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

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.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

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

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) In enacting this act, the Legislature recognizes that some individuals who are in need of public assistance are, or have been, survivors of abuse.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that applicants and recipients of public assistance who are past or present survivors of abuse are not placed at further risk or unfairly penalized by program requirements or procedures.

(c) The Legislature intends that, in implementing this act, program requirements for aid under the CalWORKs program should not be created or applied in such a way as to make it more difficult for applicants or recipients of aid to escape domestic abuse.

SEC. 2.

Section 11495.12 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

11495.12.

For purposes of this article, ~~until regulations are adopted pursuant to Section 11495.1,~~ the term “abuse” means battering or subjecting a victim to extreme cruelty by (1) physical acts that resulted in or threatened to result in physical injury, (2) sexual abuse, (3) sexual activity involving a child in the home, (4) being forced to participate in nonconsensual sexual acts or activities, (5) threats of, or attempts at, physical or sexual abuse, (6) mental abuse, (7) neglect or deprivation of medical care, ~~or (8) stalking.~~ (8) stalking, or (9) economic control.

SEC. 3.

Section 11495.15 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.

11495.15.
A county may waive a program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present victim of abuse when it has been determined that good cause exists pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 11320.3. Until implementation of the regulations required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11495.1, a county may utilize standards, procedures, and protocols currently available, and shall identify them in its county plan. Waivers shall be reevaluated in accordance with other routine periodic reevaluations by the county.

SEC. 4.

Section 11495.15 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

11495.15.

(a) A county shall waive a program requirement for an applicant or recipient who is a past or present victim of abuse when the program requirement, if not waived, would do any of the following:

(1) Place the family at risk of harm.

(2) Unfairly penalize the family.

(3) Make it more difficult for the family to escape abuse.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting a county from waiving a program requirement under other circumstances as deemed necessary for an applicant or recipient who is a past or present victim of abuse. Waivers shall be reevaluated in accordance with other routine periodic reevaluations by the county.

SEC. 5.

No appropriation pursuant to Section 15200 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of implementing this act.

SEC. 6.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.