Administration of public social services: blocked telephone calls.
The proposed amendment to Section 10809.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code mandates that any call made by a county for public social services must display a telephone number. This is expected to improve the accountability of county departments when reaching out to beneficiaries and reinforce the principle of openness in public service communications. Additionally, the bill imposes certain service standards on counties, thereby categorizing it as a state-mandated local program, which could impact the operational procedures of counties administering these services.
Assembly Bill 94, introduced by Assembly Member Davies, aims to enhance the transparency of communication between local counties and recipients of public social services. The bill specifically prohibits counties from blocking caller identification information when making calls to applicants or recipients for the purpose of administering public social service programs. This measure intends to ensure that individuals receiving benefits can easily identify the source of the calls, promoting better communication and trust between service providers and recipients.
One notable point of contention surrounding AB 94 revolves around the potential costs associated with implementing these changes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies for costs mandated by the state; hence, if the Commission on State Mandates identifies additional costs incurred due to this bill, it will necessitate budgeting for state reimbursements. Critics may argue that these new requirements could place a burden on county resources, particularly if reimbursement procedures are not efficiently executed.