Public social services: renewal and recertification of eligibility.

Existing law creates various programs to provide health care services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various eligibility requirements, including, but not limited to, the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care benefits. Existing law also provides for the Food Stamp Program, under which food stamps are allocated by each county in accordance with federal requirements, and the CalWORKs program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals who meet specified eligibility criteria. Under existing law, the Food Stamp Program and the CalWORKs program are administered at the state level by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law requires recipients of Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, and CalWORKs benefits to, on a specified basis, renew or recertify their eligibility. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services, in consultation with counties, the State Department of Social Services, representatives of the Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) consortia, consumers, and other affected stakeholder groups to conduct a stakeholder planning workgroup to develop a single renewal and recertification form to be used by individuals and families who are recipients of one or more of the Medi-Cal, Food Stamp, or CalWORKs benefit programs. This bill would require the stakeholder planning workgroup to develop the renewal and recertification form, and any related policies and procedures, to be considered for adoption by the State Department of Health Care Services and other entities, and would require the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Social Services to submit the single renewal and recertification form and related policies and procedures developed by the workgroup to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by October 31, 2011.