AB 1229

Bill Subjects

Abstract

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.