Food stamps: intercounty transfer of benefits.

Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) , formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which food stamps are allocated to the state by the federal government and are distributed to eligible households by each county. Existing law provides for the intercounty transfer (ICT) of benefits for recipients of CalWORKs, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) , or Medi-Cal benefits that move from one county to another within the state, as prescribed. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to establish a process of intercounty transfer of eligibility for benefits under SNAP when a recipient moves from one county to another within the state. This bill would specify, commencing no later than April 1, 2011, that for recipients of SNAP benefits who are also recipients of CalWORKs benefits, the ICT process utilized for CalWORKs shall be used. This bill would further specify, commencing no later than April 1, 2011, that for recipients of SNAP benefits who are also recipients of Medi-Cal benefits, but not recipients of CalWORKs, the ICT process utilized for Medi-Cal shall be used. This bill would require, commencing no later than July 1, 2011, that for recipients of SNAP benefits who are neither recipients of CalWORKs nor Medi-Cal benefits, an intercounty transfer process be developed, as specified. This bill would specify that upon implementation of the intercounty transfer procedures set forth in the bill, it is the responsibility of the recipient changing residence from one county to another within the state to notify the county currently paying food stamp benefits of the move. This bill would require the recipient's prior county of residence to notify the new county of residence of the recipient's move as soon as the recipient's location in the new county is known. It would require the new county of residence to be responsible for determining the recipient's continued eligibility for benefits under SNAP, but that, to the extent permitted by federal law, the new county of residence would not be required to interview persons in the food stamp household to determine continued eligibility, until the next scheduled recertification or other regularly scheduled interview. This bill would require the department to adopt regulations to implement the bill no later than July 1, 2012, as specified. To the extent that this would increase the duties of county officials who administer public aid programs, including the Medi-Cal program, CalWORKs, and the federal SNAP program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 these statutory provisions.