CalWORKs Family Unity Act of 2015.

Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant program, state, and county funds. Existing law requires aid to be granted to a family with a related child under 18 years of age who has been deprived of parental support or care due to the unemployment, continued absence, death, incapacity, or incarceration of a parent. Existing law also provides, however, that a family receiving aid with a child who is considered to be deprived of parental support or care due to unemployment may continue to receive assistance regardless of the number of hours his or her parent works, if the family does not exceed the applicable gross or net income limits and is otherwise eligible for assistance. Existing law requires families to be grouped into assistance units for purposes of determining eligibility and computing the amount of CalWORKs aid to be paid. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2016, instead require that aid be granted to a family with a related child who is under 18 years of age if the family meets applicable eligibility requirements, without regard to the absence or employment status of the parent. The bill would prohibit, however, an absent parent from being included in the family's assistance unit for purposes of determining eligibility or computing the amount of aid to be paid, as specified. To the extent that the bill would expand eligibility for the CalWORKs program, which is administered by counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law exempts a person with a disability, as specified, from participation in welfare-to-work activities. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2016, recast these provisions and would clarify that an adult in an assistance unit that includes 2 adults, one of whom is disabled, is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for the same number of hours per week as an adult in an assistance unit that includes only one adult. This bill would require the department to issue an all-county letter or similar instructions and to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2018. 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 these statutory provisions.