CalWORKs: eligibility: time limit.

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 for the allocation of federal funds received through the TANF program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides that a parent or caretaker relative shall not be eligible for CalWORKs aid when he or she has received aid for a cumulative total of 60 months. Existing law excludes months in which certain conditions exist from being counted as a month of receipt of aid for these purposes. This bill would revise the requirements for providing aid under the CalWORKs program by replacing the existing time limits on receipt of aid with a 6-month limit, operative 90 days after the effective date of the bill. Existing law requires every county and every city and county to relieve and support all incompetent, poor, indigent persons, and those incapacitated by age, disease, or accident, lawfully residing in the county or city and county, when those persons are not supported and relieved by their relatives or friends, by their own means, or by state hospitals or other state or private institutions. Under existing law, an individual who is not eligible for CalWORKs aid because of the time limitation, is ineligible for county assistance until all of the children of the individual on whose behalf aid was received, whether or not currently living in the home with the individual, are 18 years of age or older. Existing law also provides that such an individual is ineligible for county assistance if he or she is ineligible for CalWORKs aid due to the imposition of a sanction or penalty. This bill would extend the provisions for ineligibility for county assistance to a child who is ineligible for CalWORKs aid due to the 6-month time limit required by the bill, or due to the imposition of a sanction or penalty, as specified. This bill would make various conforming changes and would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to conform other CalWORKs program provisions to a 6-month time limit on aid.