HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06121984 - 1.33 --; To: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: R. E. Jornlin, Director
Social Service Department Costa
DATE: June 5, 1984 County
SUBJECT: SUPPORT OF SB 2035 - IF AMENDED
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECONNMATION
Support SB 2035 in concept as a measure to assist refugees in self-sufficiency
and to reduce welfare costs and dependency with support of the final bill
dependent on resolution of program concerns prior to the bill becoming law.
BACKGROUND
SB 2035 establishes a statewide demonstration project to be implemented
July 1, 1984 which would provide cash assistance for federal AFDC-FG/U
families who have been in the United States for less than 24 months under
a new Refugee Cash Assistance program. Its purpose is to provide work
incentives and assist refugees in self-sufficiency and reducing welfare
costs and dependency.
At the Federal level, the Fish Amendment to H.R. 3729 (1983 Reauthorization
Bill) would authorize this demonstration project and provide for the
transfer of Title IV-A and RIR funds to the demonstration project. In
addition, it would make refugees eligible to the demonstration project
ineligible to AFDC for their first 36 months in the United States.
However, this legislation produces many concerns which should be resolved
prior to this bill becoming law:
1. The number of refugee families who would be eligible for this program
number only about 7,000 statewide while there are in excess of 100,000
refugees in California. In Contra Costa County, we have approximately
250 cases which would be converted to this demonstration project, leaving
approximately 400 cases which are past the 24 month time limit and would
remain on AFDC-FG/U. It does not appear to be cost effective to create
a demonstration project for so few cases.
2. The CWD's administrative costs would substantially increase to operate
this project. This bill does not provide additional administrative
funding to cover these costs.
3. The statistical reporting required for this project will be difficult
and costly. The information required to meet the reporting requirements
is not available through our Case Data System. The standard data input
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: `
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMME D ION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S) 02
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ORIG: Social Service (Contracts Unit) Q�
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED
State Department of Social Services J. . OLSSON. COUNTY CLERK
AND EX OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD
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M382/7-e3 BY DEPUTY
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forms do not provide for the gathering of this data. All cracking,
data collection, and data compilation would have to be done on a
manual basis. Not only would this be time consuming for staff, it
would be entirely at County expense as there is no additional funding
allocated for administration.
4. This demonstration project would create additional work for Income
Maintenance staff as it is creating a new program.
5. Refugees in this demonstration project would be mandated to utilize
the service programs funded by the Refugee Resettlement Program and
Targeted Assistance. This additional mandatory client pool would be
created at a time when there is a substantial reduction in refugee
services funding.
6. There is an equity issue inherent in the legislation. Otherwise
AFDC-FG/U eligible families will be aided under different, and in
some cases stricter, program requirements only by virtue of their
being refugees and of their date of entry into the United States.
7. The target population for this demonstration project addresses only
time-eligible refugees (i.e., whose cash assistance is 100% federally
reimbursed). It does not involve those refugees who are time-expired
and whose aid payment is the regular AFDC-FG/U Federal/State/County
sharing ratio; nor does this project apply to State-Only AFDC-U families,
regardless of when they entered the United States or to refugees on
General Assistance.
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