HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02071995 - 1.25 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
Phil Batchelor, County Administrator
FROM: Costa
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County
January 30, 1995
DATE:
SUBJECT: LEGISLATION: AB 154 (Richter) - MAKING GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
OPTIONAL WITH EACH COUNTY
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a position in SUPPORT of AB 154 by Assemblyman Bernie
Richter, which would amend Welfare and Institutions Code § 17000 in
such a way as to make the General Assistance Program in each County
optional with the Board of Supervisors, including the level of
grant which is provided if the Board chooses to continue a General
Assistance Program.
BACKGROUND:
Existing law requires each county to relieve and support all
indigent persons not supported by other means . These programs are
commonly referred to as General Assistance.
One of the proposals made in the Governor' s Budget as a mechanism
for counties to balance their budgets, given the proposed exchange
of Trial Court Funding for a larger share of the AFDC grants, is to
make General Assistance optional with each county.
For many years, counties have struggled under the mandate of
Welfare and Institutions Code S '17000, which provides an open-
ended, unfunded State mandate on counties, which are required to
fund the General Assistance Program with 100% local funds . Because
of the existence of Welfare and Institutions Code S 17000, courts
have required counties to provide certain minimum levels of funding
and have restricted the ability of boards of supervisors to try to
control the level of expenditures in this program.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE S
ACTION OF BOARD ON Febrllary 7. 1995 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) 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 7
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
cc: See Page 2 SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BY �� ,DEPUTY
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Assemblyman Richter has introduced AB 154 which makes the "relieve
and support" requirement of S 17000 optional and specifically
states that " . . .the level, if any, for general assistance grants or
in-kind aid provided for the relief and support of incompetent,
poor, indigent persons, and those incapacitated by age, disease, or
accident shall be set by the board of supervisors in its sole
discretion. "
In order to provide the Board of Supervisors the maximum discretion
possible to control expenditures in the General Assistance Program,
balance the County' s budget, encourage efforts on the part of
employable General Assistance recipients to become self-supporting
again, and to respond to the Governor' s 1995-96 Budget, it is
recommended that the Board of Supervisors support AB 154 .
cc: County Administrator
Bob Hofmann, Acting Social Services Director
Victor J. Westman, County Counsel
Sara Hoffman, Senior Deputy County Administrator
Les Spahnn, Heim, Noack, Kelly & Spahnn
Bank of California Center
770 L Street, Suite 960
Sacramento, CA 95814
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-1995-96 REGULAR SESSION
ASSEMBLY BILL No. 154
Introduced by Assembly Member Richter
January 18, 1995
An act to amend Sections 17000 and 17001 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, relating to general assistance.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 154, as introduced, Richter. County general assistance
programs.
Existing law requires each county to relieve and support all
indigent persons not supported by other means. These
programs are commonly referred to as county general
assistance programs.
This bill would make this duty discretionary upon each
county. It would specify that the level, if any, of aid and care
that the county provides under its general assistance program
is solely at the discretion of the board of supervisors.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows.•
1 SECTION 1. Section 17000 of the Welfare and
2 Institutions Code is amended to read:
3 17000. (a) Every county and every city and county
4 shftfl may relieve and support all incompetent, poor,
5 indigent persons, and those incapacitated by age, disease,
6 or accident, lawfully resident therein, when stieh these
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AB 154 — 2 -
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1 persons are not supported and relieved by their relatives
2 or friends, by their own means, or by state hospitals or
3 other state or private institutions.
4 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
5 level, if any, for general assistance grants or in-kind aid,
6 provided by a county or city and county for the reliefand
7 support of incompetent, poor, indigent persons, and
8 those incapacitated by age, disease, or accident shall be
9 set by the board of supervisors m its sole discretion.
10 SEC. 2. Section 17001 of the Welfare and Institutions
11 Code is amended to read:
12 17001. -'The�board ofsupervisors of each county, or the
13 agency authorized by county charter, she& may adopt
14 standards of aid and care for the indigent and dependent
15 poor of the county or city and county.
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