CalWORKs.

Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which, through a combination of federal, state, and county funds, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Under existing law, when the federal government provides funds for the care of a needy relative with whom a needy child is living, aid to the child for any month includes aid to meet the need of that relative, if CalWORKs payments are made with respect to the child for that month, except as prescribed. Existing law requires that the parent or parents be considered living with the needy child for a period of up to 180 consecutive days of the needy child's absence from the family assistance unit, and provides that the parents are eligible for CalWORKs services, but not for the payment of aid, if certain conditions are met, including that the child has been removed from the parents and placed in out-of-home care, and that the county has determined that the provision of services is necessary for family reunification. This bill would instead provide that those eligible parents are eligible for the payment of aid, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose. Because the bill would increase the administrative duties of counties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.