CalWORKs: assignment of child support.

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 continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs aid is required to assign to the county any rights to support from any other person that the recipient may have, on his or her behalf, or on behalf of any other family member for whom the recipient is receiving aid, not exceeding the total amount of CalWORKs cash assistance provided to the family. Existing law also requires the first $50 of any amount of child support collected in a month in payment of the required support obligation for that month to be paid to a recipient of CalWORKs aid, and prohibits this amount from being considered income or resources of the recipient family or being deducted from the amount of aid to which the family would otherwise be eligible. This bill would increase that amount, on and after January 1, 2016, to $100 for a family with one child and $200 for a family with 2 or more children. Because each county is required to pay for a share of CalWORKs aid grant costs, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also provide that no appropriation would be made for purposes of the bill pursuant to the provision that continuously appropriates funds for the CalWORKs 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.