General assistance: eligibility.

Existing law requires each county to provide aid to its indigent residents not supported by other means. These county programs are known as general assistance programs. Existing law makes an individual who is not eligible for benefits under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program as a result of the 48-month limitation ineligible for aid or assistance from a general assistance program until the children on whose behalf the individual received CalWORKs benefits are 18 years of age or older. This bill would remove that restriction on eligibility for aid or assistance from a general assistance program if the individual is a parent of a child who is under 18 years of age and not living in the home as the result of one or more specified conditions, including, among others, a court-ordered custody agreement. By expanding eligibility for general assistance, the bill would impose a state-mandated local 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 the statutory provisions noted above.