BILL NUMBER: AB 2445INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Dababneh FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to amend Section 13753 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to foster youth. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2445, as introduced, Dababneh. Foster youth: social security insurance. Existing law provides for the out-of-home placement, including foster care placement, of children who are unable to remain in the custody and care of their parents. Existing law, the federal Social Security Act, provides for benefits for eligible beneficiaries, including survivorship and disability benefits and supplemental security income (SSI) benefits for, among others, blind and disabled children. Existing law also provides for state supplemental payments (SSP) to supplement SSI benefits. Existing law requires the county to provide specified information relating to SSI payments to a foster youth receiving those benefits when he or she is approaching his or her 18th birthday. This bill would instead require the county to provide that information to the youth when he or she is approaching his or her 17th birthday. By increasing duties on counties, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. 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 13753 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 13753. When a foster youth who is receiving SSI payments is approaching his or her18th17th birthday, the county shall do all of the following: (a) Provide information to the youth regarding the federal requirement that the youth establish continuing disability as an adult, if necessary, in order for SSI benefits to continue beyond his or her 18th birthday. (b) Provide information to the youth regarding the process for becoming his or her own payee, or designating an appropriate representative payee if benefits continue beyond his or her 18th birthday, and regarding any SSI benefits that have accumulated on his or her behalf. (c) Assist the youth, as appropriate, in fulfilling the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b). SEC. 2. To the extent that this act has an overall effect of increasing the costs already borne by a local agency for programs or levels of service mandated by the 2011 Realignment Legislation within the meaning of Section 36 of Article XIII of the California Constitution, it shall apply to local agencies only to the extent that the state provides annual funding for the cost increase. Any new program or higher level of service provided by a local agency pursuant to this act above the level for which funding has been provided shall not require a subvention of funds by the state nor otherwise be subject to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.