Existing federal law provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing federal law requires the Secretary of Agriculture to approve retail food stores to accept CalFresh benefits through online transactions if the secretary implements this program after a required demonstration project. Existing law provides for the establishment of a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system, administered by the State Department of Social Services, for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits. Existing law authorizes a county to deliver CalFresh benefits through the use of the EBT system. This bill would require the EBT system to limit the purchase of food through an online transaction only to retailers that are authorized to accept CalFresh benefits by the United States Department of Agriculture and that comply with various requirements, including, providing reasonable access to exchange food within 4 hours of receipt of the food. This bill would also require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the Office of Systems Integration and other relevant stakeholders, to establish the qualifications, processes, and standards required to certify and recertify retailers as eligible to accept payments online using cash benefits and to determine the allowable online purchases that may be made using cash benefits. The bill would require the department to issue an all-county letter or similar guidance by January 1, 2021, describing the qualifications, process, and standards developed.
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Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which nutrition assistance benefits are distributed to eligible individuals by the counties. Existing law establishes eligibility and benefit level requirements for receipt of CalFresh benefits. Existing law establishes the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, under which counties provide payments to foster care providers on behalf of qualified children in foster care. The program is funded by a combination of federal, state, and county funds. In order to be eligible for AFDC-FC, existing law requires a child or nonminor dependent to be placed in one of several specified placements, including, for nonminor dependents, a supervised independent living setting. Existing law authorizes a nonminor dependent to receive all of the AFDC-FC payment directly if the nonminor dependent is living in a supervised independent living placement and complies with certain requirements. Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. Existing law requires the commission to work cooperatively with the State Department of Social Services to develop an automated system to verify a student's status as a foster youth to aid in the processing of applications for federal financial aid. Under existing law, the commission, through an interagency agreement with the State Department of Social Services, operates the Chafee Educational and Training Vouchers Program, to provide federal grants to current and former foster youth with access to postsecondary education. This bill, the End Foster Youth Student Hunger in California Act of 2019, would require the Student Aid Commission to report to the Legislature, no later than July 1, 2020, the amount of funding and the authority it would need to establish a Transition Age Foster Youth Meal Plan Program. The bill would also require the commission to identify the proposed amount, and method of issuance, of a benefit under that program. The act would require the State Department of Social Services to provide a state-funded cash benefit for purposes of food assistance to nonminor dependents in supervised independent living placements, as defined, who directly receive their AFDC-FC payments. The supplemental nutrition benefit would be provided as a cash benefit paid directly to the nonminor dependent, as specified. Existing federal law provides that students who are enrolled in college or other institutions of higher education at least half time are not eligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet one of several specified exemptions, including being employed for a minimum of 20 hours per week and being paid for such employment, as specified, or participating in a state or federally financed work study program during the regular school year. The act would require the State Department of Social Services to establish an official approval process to ensure that paid or unpaid internship hours worked by a foster youth student, as defined, outside of approved federal or state work study will qualify the foster youth student for an exemption to the student eligibility rule described above. The act would require the department to issue guidance to county human services agencies to require certain practices identified by the department to increase rates of completed CalFresh applications and CalFresh participation rates of exiting foster youth. By imposing these duties on counties with respect to foster youth participation in CalFresh, the bill would create 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.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Open Access Act prohibits the charging of a subscription fee on persons desiring to use an electric vehicle charging station, as defined, and prohibits requiring those persons to obtain membership in any club, association, or organization as a condition of using the station, except as specified. The act requires an electric vehicle charging station to provide to the general public 2 specified options for payment. The act also authorizes the State Air Resources Board, if no interoperability billing standards have been adopted by a national standards organization by January 1, 2015, to adopt interoperability billing standards, as defined, for network roaming payment methods for electric vehicle charging stations, and requires, if the state board adopts standards, all electric vehicle charging stations that require payment to meet those standards within one year. This bill instead would require an electric vehicle charging station to provide to the general public a toll-free telephone number for processing a credit card payment and onsite capacity for credit card payment, as defined. The bill instead would authorize the state board, if no interoperability billing standards, as defined, have been adopted by an international standards organization by January 1, 2021, to adopt interoperability billing standards for network roaming payment methods for electric vehicle charging stations, and would require, if the state board adopts standards, all electric vehicle charging stations that require payment to meet those standards by deadlines specified by the state board.
Existing law, the Water Replenishment District Act, provides for the formation, organization, and functioning of water replenishment districts and authorizes a district to do any act necessary to replenish the groundwater of the district. This bill would authorize a water replenishment district, pursuant to an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board, to offer to conduct a needs assessment program for water systems serving disadvantaged communities within the district, as specified. The bill would make a water system's participation in the program voluntary. The bill would authorize the district, upon completion of the needs assessment, to develop and evaluate options to address the findings and recommendations in the needs assessment and prepare an implementation plan for recommendation to the water system. The bill would authorize the district, to the extent it receives federal or state grants that may be used for this purpose, to assist the water system in implementing the plan, and would require the participating district to prepare an annual report regarding the services, costs, and sources of funding for all actions taken under this program. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2026.
Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of community care facilities, including group homes and foster family agencies, by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, subject to the availability of funding, to contract with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations to provide legal services to unaccompanied undocumented minors, as defined, who are transferred to the care and custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and who are present in this state. This bill would require the department to create a facilities liaison position within its immigration services unit to, among other duties, assist state-licensed group homes, short-term residential therapeutic programs (STRTPs) , foster family agencies, and resource families that serve undocumented immigrant youth in connecting with appropriate supports and services, including, but not limited to, legal services, mental health assessments and services, and public benefits, as specified. The bill would, when appropriate, require the facilities liaison to assist in arranging a meeting for identified unaccompanied undocumented minors with a qualified organization that has received a grant to provide legal services. The bill would require the department to develop and issue guidance to counties, licensees, and other providers regarding the provision of services to undocumented immigrant youth and their caregivers.
Existing law authorizes a peace officer, as defined, or a regularly employed and salaried employee, who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations, of a city, county, or jurisdiction of a state agency in which a vehicle is located, to remove a vehicle located within the territorial limits in which the officer or employee may act, under designated circumstances, including, but not limited to, when a vehicle is found upon a highway or public land or removed pursuant to the Vehicle Code, and has been issued 5 or more notices of parking violations to which the owner or person in control of the vehicle has not responded within a designated time period. Under existing law, a vehicle that has been removed and impounded under those circumstances that is not released may be subject to a lien sale to compensate for the costs of towage and for caring for and keeping safe the vehicle. Existing law authorizes a peace officer and specified public employees, as an alternative to removal of a vehicle, to immobilize the vehicle with a device designed and manufactured for that purpose, if, among other circumstances, the vehicle is found upon a highway or public lands by the peace officer or employee and it is known to have been issued 5 or more notices of parking violations that are delinquent because the owner or person in control of the vehicle has not responded to the appropriate agency within a designated time period. This bill would delete the authority of a peace officer or public employee, as appropriate, to remove or immobilize a vehicle under those circumstances. The bill would also modify the authority to remove a vehicle parked or left standing for 72 or more consecutive hours in violation of a local ordinance by requiring the vehicle to remain parked or left standing for 5 or more business days after a notice is affixed to the vehicle specifying the date and time after which the vehicle may be removed. The bill would also require the notice to include specified information. The bill would repeal the related authority to conduct a lien sale to cover towing and storage expenses. The bill would make various conforming and technical changes. By requiring local authorities to provide specified information on parking notices, this 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.
This measure would recognize June 12, 2019, as the 121st Anniversary of Philippine Independence and would call upon the people of the state to observe the month of June with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.
This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to provide permanent legal status and a path to citizenship for immigrant youths and individuals with Deferred Enforced Departure and Temporary Protected Status.