CalWORKs eligibility: income exemption: census.

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, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Under existing law, any income or stipend paid by the United States Census Bureau, a governmental entity, or a nonprofit organization for temporary work related to improving participation in the decennial census that is earned during the year preceding a decennial census and during the year of the decennial census is exempt from consideration as income for purposes of determining eligibility and aid amount. This bill would delete the conditions that the income or stipend be related to participation improvement and be earned during those years. The bill would instead exempt the income or stipend if the temporary work is related to the decennial census and would make this provision retroactive and applicable to income or a stipend paid by any of the above entities for temporary work related to the most recent decennial census. By expanding the scope of CalWORKs eligibility, and thereby increasing the duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize the State Department of Social Services to implement, interpret, or make specific these provisions through all-county letters or similar instructions from the department until regulations are adopted, as specified. 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 above provisions. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.