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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 06131995 - 1.67 ��—S S L —off,• TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CostContra U ' s dlinn� oQ,t'' a FROM: Supervisor Gayle Bishop County Supervisor Tom Torlakson oos civ T'9COl7K� DATE: June 13, 1995 SUBJECT: County Flexibility in the General Assistance Program SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION(S): APPROVE letters to be sent to organizations and individuals in support of greater County flexibility with General Assistance program and AUTHORIZE Board members to sign such letters individually and for the Board as a whole. BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATIONS): The General Assistance program is an unfunded mandate imposed by the State on the County. The County has taken a proactive approach to General Assistance by instituting an array of self sufficiency programs designed to help General Assistance recipients become independent. These programs include: training in job search skills, work experience, substance abuse treatment and, for the unemployable, assistance is obtaining SSI. The State Legislature is currently examining various bills which would redefine the regulations under which counties must operate the General Assistance program. Recently, Supervisor Tom Torlakson requested staff to prepare sample letters that could go out to organizations and individuals to let them know of the need for greater County flexibility in operating the General Assistance program. Also included were sample letters that could be sent to state legislators as well as a summary of pending legislation. The impact of such letters would be much greater if they came from both individual Board members and the Board as a whole. Please note that this agenda item relates to the Finance Committee report on the budget alert networking process. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: _RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON June 13, 1995APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ------ ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOICUN. Contact: ATTESTED June 13, 1995 PHILJ ELOK OF T BO D OS S 4MNTYjT TOR cc:CAO SAMPLE LETTER TO ORGANIZATIONS Dear Over the past five years, Contra Costa County's general purpose revenue has shrunk 25%, from $235.7 million to $177.7 million. General purpose revenue is now only 20% of the overall budget as opposed to 33% in 1990-91. This loss of general purpose revenue severely restricts the County's ability to support local priorities, including public protection and services for children and families. At the same time, the County must continue to meet its legal mandates, including General Assistance payments to single adults. General Assistance aid payments are estimated at $13 million for this fiscal year, up from $11 million last year. The County also supports programs to help General Assistance recipients become self sufficient, including substance abuse treatment, job search skills and work experience. Scarce County resources are now going to support General Assistance at the expense of other very important, valuable programs. Your assistance would be very much appreciated in communicating to our state legislators the importance of giving the County flexibility in the General Assistance program to ensure that General Assistance recipients have a clear incentive to work toward self sufficiency. Attached is a sample letter for your consideration on General Assistance, which includes areas of needed state legislative reform. , If you have any questions or concerns about the letter, please call Sara Hoffman, Senior Deputy Administrator, at 646-1390. Thank you for your help in this area. Sincerely, SAMPLE LETTER TO LEGISLATORS Dear Important local services in Contra Costa County, including public protection and children and family services, are being jeopardized by the growing budget for General Assistance. Despite the County's substance abuse treatment, job search and work experience programs, General Assistance is growing rapidly. It is estimated to cost the County over $13 million in this fiscal year, up from $11 million the previous year. Your help is needed to give the County greater flexibility in.General Assistance. Please support AB 154 (Richter), AB 9 (Goldsmith), AB 38 (Pringle) and AB 18 (Thompson) which would make General Assistance a discretionary program, limit benefits to 90 days for employable persons, limit General Assistance availability in cases of other income maintenance fraud and limit all General Assistance benefits to two years, respectively. These bills are all pending in the a Health & Human Services Committee of the State Legislature. In addition, greater flexibility is needed in setting payment rates for persons in shared housing, sanctions, work programs and reimbursement (Please see attached list). Contra Costa County is funding General Assistance at the expense of other high public priority programs . Please support General Assistance legislative relief as a means of supporting police protection and children and family services. Sincerely, AREAS FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION - GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AB 154 (Richter) AB 154 would make General Assistance (GA) discretionary to each county. This proposal is also contained in the governor's budget proposal as a form of mandate relief. AB 9 (Goldsmith) AB 9 would reinstate shared housing provisions which sunset on January 1, 1995. Loss of the shared housing provision contributed to the increase in General Assistance costs in Contra Costa County from $11 million in FY 93-94 to $13 million in FY 94-95. In addition, AB 9 would place a three-month limit on General Assistance to able-bodied, mentally competent recipients. This would provide a strong incentive for employable GA recipients to become self sufficient. AB 18 (Thompson) AB 18 would provide a two year limit on aid for able-bodied General Assistance recipients. AB 38 (Pringle) AB 38 would relieve counties of the obligations to provide General Assistance to individuals who had been cut off from other assistance (such as AFDC) by a federal or state court or administrative hearing due to fraud. The period of ineligibility for General Assistance would be determined by the court or hearing that found the fraud. Shared Housing With shared housing provisions, the General Assistance payment level is reduced if recipients live in shared housing with unrelated persons or someone who is not legally responsible for the General Assistance recipient. AB 9 (Goldsmith) restores the previous criteria for shared housing reduction. A better alternative would be to amend Section 17000.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to specifically apply the federal official poverty line standard to individuals, families and households, which would encompass shared housing; i.e., " . . . 62% of a guideline that is equal to the 1991 federal official poverty line for individuals, families and-households and may annually adjust . . . " Sanctions Sanctions allow for temporary discontinuance of aid for General Assistance recipients who do not comply with program requirements such as attending substance abuse treatment programs or job search training. Currently, the legislc-tion has confusing and limiting provisions for sanctions based on job training violations and self-defeating provisions regarding "lack of good cause." We would recommend modification of Section 17001.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to permit counties to discontinue aid to, or sanction for up to 180 days, for any failure or refusal without good cause to follow program requirements. Work Programs Job search skill programs and work programs are designed to help General Assistance recipients to become better qualified for a job. The county's ability to promote self sufficiency is currently limited. We would like restoration of the pre-1984 language of Section 17200 of the Welfare and Institutions Code which was amended to permit work only as a condition of relief, to again permit job tests as condition of eligibility for General Assistance. Reimbursement Currently, Section 17300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code limits responsible relatives to parents of recipient minor children; however, there are virtually no minor children who receive General Assistance so that the final limitation obviates the viability of the entire provision. Elimination of the last sentence would put responsibility for support of otherwise eligible General Assistance recipients on parents for needy adult children, on spouses for married adults and on adult children for support of their needy parents. MO:galegis.ppr I STATE LEGISLATORS Contra Costa County Assemblyman Tom Bates State Senator Dan Boatwright District 14 Capitol Building #3086 Capitol Building #3120 Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-7554 Phone: 916/445-6083 Fax: 916/445-6434 Fax: Won't Reveal Concord Fax: 689-0618 Assemblyman Robert Campbell District 11 Capitol Building #2163 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-7890 Fax: 916/327-2999 Assemblyman Richard Rainey District 15 Capitol Building #4139 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-6161 Fax: 916/327-5297 Health & Human Services Committee Chair: Diane E. Watson Vice Chair: Ray Haynes State Senate State Senate Capitol Building #4040 Capitol Building #4082 Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/295-6655 Phone: 916/445-9781 Fax: 916/327-2599 Fax: 916/447-9008 Bill Authors A139: Jan Goldsmith District 75 Capitol Building #5106 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-2484 Fax: 916/324-2782 AB18: Bruce Thompson District 66 Capitol Building #2179 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-1676 Fax: 916/447-4457 AB38: Curt Pringle District 68 Capitol Building #2114 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-8377 Fax: 9161323-5467 AB154: Bernie Richter District 3 Capitol Building #448 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916/445-7298 Fax: 916/323-3550