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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04191994 - 1.97 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ..........._ Con}Contrr.. •,Of, l ter' FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Costa L xov �. :.. County �.. April 13 1994 DATE: p �SrA coun�i SUBJECT: LEGISLATION: AB 2478 (Goldsmith, et al) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: ADOPT a position of SUPPORT for AB 2478 by Assemblyman Goldsmith and 29 co-authors (including Assemblyman Richard Rainey) , which would eliminate the sunset date of January 1, 1995 on the ability of a county to adopt General Assistance (GA) residency requirements, establish a GA standard for applicants and recipients who share housing with one or more unrelated persons, and discontinue GA benefits under specified circumstances, thereby continuing this authority indefinitely, and which would also permit each county to discontinue GA after an able-bodied, mentally competent individual has received GA for 3 months during a 12-month period. BACKGROUND: Existing law authorizes each county, only until January 1, 1995, to: ♦ Adopt GA residency requirements, ♦ Establish a GA standard for applicants and recipients who share housing with one or more unrelated persons, and ♦ Discontinue GA benefits when a GA recipient who has received aid for three months engages in specified behavior. Assemblyman Goldsmith has introduced AB. 2478 which, as the bill was amended on March 16, 1994 , would .eliminate the January 1, 1995 sunset date for these provisions, thereby continuing this authority indefinitely. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE S: ACTION OF BOARD ON April 19 , 1994 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED _ X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT I ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED April 19 , 1994 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: See Page 2PERVISO SAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY ,DEPUTY -2- AB 2478 would also amend the discontinuance provision noted above to remove the "received aid for three months" requirement, thereby allowing the sanctions to be imposed whenever the specified behavior occurs . AB 2478 would also allow a county to limit the receipt of GA to three months, whether or not the months are consecutive, in a 12- month period. The existing sanctions are a necessary tool to insure that GA recipients are fully cooperating in trying to obtain job training and are seriously making an effort to make themselves self- supporting. General Assistance should be viewed as a transitional aid program which is available to assist an able-bodied and mentally competent individual only for a temporary transitional period of time, rather than being a way of life. The enactment of AB 2478 is an important component in insuring that GA can remain a temporary and transitional form of assistance for able-bodied and mentally competent individuals . It is, therefore, recommended that the Board of Supervisors indicate its support of AB 2478. cc: County Administrator Social Services Director County Counsel Sara Hoffman, CAO' s Office Les Spahnn, Heim, Noack & Spahnn e a n AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 1994 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-1993-94 REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILL No. 2478 f Introduced by Assembly Members GeldswA&, Member Goldsmith r (Principal.coauthor. Senator Leslie) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar, Andal, Boland, Brulte, Connolly, Conroy, Costa, Frazee, Ferguson, Frazee, Harvey, Haynes, Hoge, Horcher, Knight, Morrow, Mountjoy, Pringle, Quackenbush, Riehterr, am. d Stathaffi Rainey, Richter, Seastrand, Statham, and Takasugi) (Coauthors: Senators Hurtt, Lewis, Peace, Presley, and Wyman) January 6, 1994 An act to amend Section 17001.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,relating to general assistance, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2478, as amended, Goldsmith. County general assistance programs. Existing law requires each county to relieve and support all incompetent, poor, indigent persons., and those incapacitated by age, disease, or accident lawfully resident in the county, when these persons are not supported and relieved by their relatives and friends, by their own means, or by state hospitals or other state or private institutions. These programs are commonly referred to as county general assistance programs. Existing law, effective until January 1, 1995, authorizes each county to adopt general assistance residency requirements, establish a general assistance standard for applicants and recipients who share housing with one or more unrelated persons, and discontinue general assistance benefits under 98 80 AB 2478 — 2 — specified 2 — specified circumstances. j 1 This bill would indefinitely extend these provisions. 2 Under existing law, one of the circumstances under which 3 these benefits may be discontinued is when an able-bodied, 4 mentally competent person has received aid for 3 months if 5 the recipient engages in specified types of conduct. 6 This bill would delete the prior receipt of aid for 3 months - 7 as a condition of discontinued aid. 8 This bill would ; as aaft also permit each county 9 to discontinue aid under the general assistance program after 10 an able-bodied, mentally competent individual has received 11 that aid for 3 months, whether or not the months are 12 consecutive, during a 12-month period. 13 The bill would provide that it is the intent of the bill to 14 reverse a specified judicial decision. 15 This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately 16 as an urgency statute. 17 Vote: %. Appropriation: no. ' Fiscal committee: no. 18 State-mandated local program: no. 19 >; 20 5 The people of the State of California do enact as follows: i 21 22 1 SECTION 1. Section 17001.5 of the Welfare and 1 23 2 Institutions Code is amended to read: 24 3 17001.5. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, € 25 4 including, but not limited to, Section 17000.5, the board 26 5 of supervisors of each county, or the agency authorized 27 6 by the county charter, may do any of the following: 28 K 7 (a) (1) Adopt residency requirements for purposes of 29 8 determining a persons's eligibility for general assistance. 30 9 Any residence requirement under this paragraph shall 31 10 not exceed 15 days. 32 11 (2) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to 33 12 authorize the adoption of a requirement that an = 34 13 applicant or recipient have an address or to require a 35 14 homeless person to acquire an address. 36 15 (b) (1) Establish a standard of general assistance for 37 16 applicants and recipients who.share housing with one or 38 17 more unrelated persons or with one or more persons who 39 18 are not legally responsible for the applicant or recipient. 40 98 110 - 3 — AB 2478 1 The standard of general assistance aid established .ons. 2 pursuant to Section 17000.5 for a single adult recipient der which 3 may be reduced pursuant to this subdivision by not more ale-bodied, 4 than the following percentages, as appropriate: months if 5 (A) Fifteen percent if the recipient shares housing ;t. 6 with one other person described in this paragraph. • 3 months 7 (B) Twenty percent if the recipient shares housing 8 with two other persons described in this paragraph. .ch county 9 (C) Twenty-five . percent if the recipient shares ;ram after 10 housing with three or more other persons described in s received 11 this paragraph. onths are 12 (2) Any standard of aid adopted pursuant to this 13 subdivision shall constitute a sufficient standard of aid for the bill to 14 .any recipient who shares housing. . 15 (3) Counties with shared housing reductions larger mediately 16 than the amounts specified in paragraph (1) as of August 17 19, 1992, may continue to apply those adjustments. ittee: no. . 18 (c) Establish a procedure to do eee all of the 19 following: i, 0 20 (1) Discontinue aid under this part for a period of not follows: 21 more than 180 days with respect to any recipient who is 22 able bodied and mentally competent a� has reee�=ed Hare and 23 aid tmder- this par4 feT- twee mee'ths if the recipient 24 engages in any of the following conduct: on of law, , 25 (A) Fails, or refuses, without good cause, to participate the board 26 in a qualified job training program, participation of which authorized 27 is a condition of receipt of assistance. owing: 28 (B) After completion of a job training program, fails, lurposes of 29 or refuses, without good cause, to accept an offer of assistance. 30 appropriate employment. raph shall 31 (C) Persistently fails, or refuses, without good cause, 32 to cooperate with the county in its efforts to do any of the lstrued to �, �, 33 following: that an 34 (i) Enroll the recipient in a job training program. require a 35 (ii) After completion of a job training program, locate 36 and secure appropriate employment for the recipient. ,stance for 37 (D) For purposes of this paragraph, lack of good cause ,ith one or 38 may be demonstrated by a showing of any of the .rsons who 39 following: recipient. ( � 40 (i) The willful failure, or refusal, of the recipient to 98 110 98 130 AB 2478 — 4 - 1 4 -1 participate in a job training program, accept appropriate ' 1 2 employment, or cooperate in enrolling in a training 2 3 program or locating employment. 3 4 (ii) Not less than three separate acts of negligent 4 5 failure of the recipient to engage in any of the activities 5 6 described in clause (i) . 6 7 (2) Diseentifme aid after Prohibit an able-bodied and 8 8 mentally competent individual has Ped from 9 receiving aid under,this part for more than three months, 9 10 whether or not the months are consecutive, in a 12-month 10 11 period. A 124menth period shah eewAnen dig s 12 menthOtat ae 13 person . ftid tmder wid . emy 14 diseentifmanee autheriz by `otgraph shad end 15 eee yeaw ager the firA dey of the earhest of the wee 16 inenths during whie aid was r ea, emeluding ment3s 17 of ea sed fi* reasens ether- fiieat OAS 18 , g a period of wtderr this 19 p ,ee hirther diseentinuvanee of aid meet be mace 20 under this has reeeiyed ` 21 twee ment3s of ftid dreg a 12knenh period. 22 No person shall be eligible for aid under this part until 12 23 months after the date aid is first received, excluding any 24 period of ineligibility otherwise imposed for reasons �.- 25 other than those provided for in this paragraph. This ; 26 paragraph shall apply only to aid received on or after the 27 effective date of this paragraph. 28 (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), discontinue aid 29 to, or sanction, recipients for failure or refusal without 30 good cause to follow program requirements. For 31 purposes of subdivision (c), lack of good cause may be 32 demonstrated by a showing of either- +A+ wAf-u4 either. 33 (1) Willful failure or refusal of the recipient to follow s 34 program ents, er +B} eet requirements. -" 35 (2) Not less than three separate acts of negligent 36 failure of the recipient to follow program requirements. 37 SEC. 2. It is the intent of this act to reverse the 38 decision in the case of Washington v. Board of Supervisors 39 of San Diego County, (18 Cal. App. 4th 981). 40 SEC. 3. This act is an urgency statute necessary for 98 150 T —5 — AB 2478 ?ro riate ® 1 the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, training meaning 2 or safety within the meang of Article IV of the 3 Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts iegligent 4 constituting the necessity are: activities 5 In order to ensure that counties have the needed 6 flexibility to implement general assistance programs died and7 within available resources, and to ensure that benefits are ed from 8 provided in the most equitable manner possible at the months, 9 earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act go into ;2-month 10 immediate effect. dtW;ftg ft PA ffily end he three x MeRths '"M Otis Aff this be e 0 t until 12 ding any reasons ph. This 0 after the O argue aid without .its. For : may be *I either: to follow Qi � fS. tegligent rements. erse the ;)ervisors ssary for 98 150 98 150