California Assembly Bill AB643 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 643AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Skinner FEBRUARY 25, 2009 An act to  add Section 18901.11 to   amend Section 11053 of  the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to  food stamps   publ   ic social services  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 643, as amended, Skinner.  Food stamps: benefits transfers.   Public aid programs: eligibility: change of residence.  Existing law establishes a statewide program to enable eligible low-income persons to receive food stamps under the federal Food Stamp Program. Existing law requires counties to implement the program, including determining eligibility and distributing food stamps.  Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income persons are provided with health care services.   Under existing law, a recipient of aid, as defined, who is changing residence from one county to another within the state is required to promptly notify the county paying aid to the recipient of the move, and to apply for a redetermination of eligibility within the new county of residence. Existing law imposes various requirements on the relevant counties, including requiring the county to which the recipient has moved to determine the recipient's continued eligibility for payment of aid and, to the extent possible, the recipient's eligibility for the Medi-Cal program.  This bill would  provide, to the extent permitted by federal law, that the food stamp benefits of a recipient who moves from one county to another be transferred from the former county to the new county, without the recipient having to file a new application and in a manner that provides uninterrupted continued benefits to the recipient   specify that aid, for purposes of the provisions relating to a recipient's change of residence, includes benefits under the Food Stamp Program  .  By expanding   To the extent that it would increase  the duties of county officials that administer  public aid programs, including the Medi-Cal program and  the federal Food Stamp Program, this bill would impose 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 these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 11053 of the   Welfare and Institutions Code   is amended to read:  11053.  (a)    It shall be the responsibility of a recipient changing residence from one county to another within the state to promptly notify the county paying aid to the recipient of the move and to apply for a redetermination of eligibility within the new county of residence. The first county shall notify the second county of the recipient's move as soon as the recipient's location in the second county is known. The county to which the recipient has moved  will   shall  be responsible for determining the recipient's continued eligibility for payment of aid and, to the extent possible, as determined by the Director of Health  Care  Services, eligibility for the Medi-Cal program, as of the first day of the month following 30 days after the first county has notified the second county of the recipient's relocation. The first county shall provide the second county with copies of those documents, as specified by the department, necessary to establish current eligibility and grant amount.  (b) Notwithstanding Section 10052, or purposes of this section, "aid" includes benefits paid pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 18900) of Chapter 10 of Part 6.   SECTION 1.   Section 18901.11 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read: 18901.11. To the extent permitted by federal law, a food stamp recipient who moves from one county in this state to another county in this state shall have his or her benefits transferred from the former county to the new county without the recipient having to file a new application. The transfer shall occur in a manner that provides uninterrupted continued benefits to the recipient under the Food Stamp Program.  SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.