Public social services: county employees.

Existing law establishes various programs that are partially federally funded and that provide cash assistance and other benefits relating to health care, food, and housing, among other benefits, to qualified low-income families and individuals, including the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, Medi-Cal, and CalFresh. Existing federal law requires that certain decisions and actions relating to these programs be made by government agencies that maintain personnel standards on a merit basis or that state agency personnel used in the certification process for these programs be employed in accordance with a merit system. This bill would require that any decisions governing eligibility for Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or CalFresh that, in California, are made by a county pursuant to provisions relating to public social services be made exclusively by a merit or civil service employee of the county. The bill would also include a statement of legislative findings and declarations.