Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law authorizes certain welfare-to-work participants to engage in adult basic education in satisfaction of these work requirements.

Existing law establishes the Cal-Learn Program, under which a recipient of CalWORKs aid who is under 19 years of age and who does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent is required to participate in the program as a student attending school on a full-time basis. Existing law provides for a supplement to, or a reduction in, a Cal-Learn participants aid grant based on his or her performance in school.

This bill would create the CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to provide CalWORKs recipients with a monthly education incentive grant of $100 for attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent, $200 for attainment of an associates degree, degree or career technical education program, or $300 for attainment of a bachelors degree, if the diploma or degree was earned educational program was completed while the recipient was receiving CalWORKs assistance. The bill would require the education incentive grant to be provided on an ongoing basis if the recipient meets certain eligibility criteria. The bill would require a recipient, when applying for an education bonus, to submit evidence of completion of the educational program to the county. The bill would require the county, upon verification of completion of the educational program, to certify that the recipient is eligible for an education incentive grant and ensure that the recipients monthly cash grant is increased. By imposing additional administrative duties on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program in the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires, to the extent that funding is provided in the annual Budget Act, a community college district to receive funding for purposes of providing special services for CalWORKs recipients, including job placement and workstudy.

This bill would appropriate $20,000,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to fund services provided under that 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.

Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law authorizes certain welfare-to-work participants to engage in adult basic education in satisfaction of these work requirements.

Existing law establishes the Cal-Learn Program, under which a recipient of CalWORKs aid who is under 19 years of age and who does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent is required to participate in the program as a student attending school on a full-time basis. Existing law provides for a supplement to, or a reduction in, a Cal-Learn participants aid grant based on his or her performance in school.

This bill would create the CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to provide CalWORKs recipients with a monthly education incentive grant of $100 for attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent, $200 for attainment of an associates degree, or $300 for attainment of a bachelors degree, if the diploma or degree was earned while the recipient was receiving CalWORKs assistance. The bill would require the education incentive grant to be provided on an ongoing basis if the recipient meets certain eligibility criteria. The bill would require a recipient, when applying for an education bonus, to submit evidence of completion of the educational program to the county. The bill would require the county, upon verification of completion of the educational program, to certify that the recipient is eligible for an education incentive grant and ensure that the recipients monthly cash grant is increased. By imposing additional administrative duties on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program in the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires, to the extent that funding is provided in the annual Budget Act, a community college district to receive funding for purposes of providing special services for CalWORKs recipients, including job placement and workstudy.

This bill would appropriate $20,000,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to fund services provided under that 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.

Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law authorizes certain welfare-to-work participants to engage in adult basic education in satisfaction of these work requirements.

Existing law establishes the Cal-Learn Program, under which a recipient of CalWORKs aid who is under 19 years of age and who does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent is required to participate in the program as a student attending school on a full-time basis. Existing law provides for a supplement to, or a reduction in, a Cal-Learn participants aid grant based on his or her performance in school.

This bill would create the CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to provide CalWORKs recipients with an a monthly education bonus, in an unspecified amount, each month after the attainment of incentive grant of $100 for attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent, $200 for attainment of an associates degree, or $300 for attainment of a bachelors degree, if the diploma or degree was earned while the recipient was receiving CalWORKs assistance. The bill would require the education incentive grant to be provided on an ongoing basis if the recipient meets certain eligibility criteria. The bill would require a recipient, when applying for an education bonus, to submit evidence of completion of the educational program to the county. The bill would also require the State Department of Social Services to develop a process for verifying educational achievement. The bill would establish the CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Support Fund, and would provide that moneys in the fund be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to support the program. The bill would require the county, upon verification of completion of the educational program, to certify that the recipient is eligible for an education incentive grant and ensure that the recipients monthly cash grant is increased. By imposing additional administrative 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, 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.

Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a recipient of CalWORKs is required to participate in welfare-to-work activities for a specified number of hours each week as a condition of eligibility for aid. Existing law authorizes certain welfare-to-work participants to engage in adult basic education in satisfaction of these work requirements.

Existing law establishes the Cal-Learn Program, under which a recipient of CalWORKs aid who is under 19 years of age and who does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent is required to participate in the program as a student attending school on a full-time basis. Existing law provides for a supplement to, or a reduction in, a Cal-Learn participants aid grant based on his or her performance in school.

This bill would create the CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to provide CalWORKs recipients with an education bonus, in an unspecified amount, each month after the attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent, an associates degree, or a bachelors degree, if the diploma or degree was earned while the recipient was receiving CalWORKs assistance. The bill would require a recipient, when applying for an education bonus, to submit evidence of completion of the educational program to the county. The bill would also require the State Department of Social Services to develop a process for verifying educational achievement. The bill would establish the CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Support Fund, and would provide that moneys in the fund be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to support the program. By imposing additional administrative 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, 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.

Date of Hearing: May 11, 2016

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2058

Author:(Mayes) – As Amended Ver:May 4, 2016

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes

SUMMARY: This bill creates the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to offer education grants to eligible CalWORKs participants who complete certain educational programs. Specifically, this bill:

1. Permits a CalWORKs recipient to apply for an education grant, which constitutes an ongoing adjustment to a participant’s monthly CalWORKs cash grant, awarded as follows:
   1. $100 per month for completion of high school or its equivalent;
   2. $200 per month for completion of an associate’s degree or career technical education program; and
   3. $300 per month for completion of a bachelor’s degree.
2. Stipulates that grant amounts are not cumulative, and that a participant shall receive, on an ongoing basis, the highest monthly bonus for which he or she is eligible.
3. Requires a participant to submit evidence of completion of an educational program to the county when applying for the education grant.
4. Appropriates $20 million from the General Fund to the California Community Colleges to fund services provided under the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program, as specified and including, but not limited to, education and career counseling services, employment development services, including job development staff positions, and work study positions.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. The bill contains a one-time $20 million General Fund appropriation to the California Community Colleges to fund services under the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program.
2. Ongoing unknown, but significant costs likely in the millions of dollars (GF) annually to fund the cash grants.
3. One-time costs of approximately $1 million (GF) for necessary automation changes.
4. Unknown, potentially reimbursable mandate costs to counties to verify completion of the program, certify a recipient's eligibility and ensure a recipient's monthly cash grant is increased.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author, “The goal of this bill is to encourage and support those on CalWORKs to get the education they need to become self-sufficient and to thrive. It is also intended to change the life trajectory of children in low-income households—not only would their immediate needs be better met, they would have a greater chance of achieving successful and fulfilling lives as adults. This bill will provide supports and incentives to help CalWORKs recipients pursue education, improving the well-being of low-income California families and helping break the cycle of poverty.”
2. California Community College CalWORKs Program. The California Community Colleges CalWORKs program was created in 1997 when the state established the CalWORKs program in response to the federal welfare reform of 1996. Today, there are CalWORKs programs in all 113 of the state’s community colleges, as well as in one adult education center. Over 31,000 CalWORKs participants are enrolled in community colleges across the state.

The individual community college CalWORKs programs coordinate with local county human services offices and deliver case management and a number of services to participants, including: on- and off-campus subsidized work study placements; and academic, career, and personal counseling involving intensive case management, career exploration, coordination of child care services, and collaboration with on-campus student services and off-campus community based organizations for emergency assistance. English language learners and individuals seeking to complete a high school equivalency program can also access educational and other services through the California Community College CalWORKs program.

When originally established, the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program had an annual budget of approximately $81 million ($65 million in Prop 98 dollars, and $16 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] monies). This budget was cut significantly – by 46% – in 2002-03 as the state struggled with a budget deficit. Other cuts and augmentations have taken place since then; the budget for the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program is currently approximately $43 million ($35 million Prop 98, and $8 million TANF).

1. Educational attainment of CalWORKs participants. The Department of Social Services (DSS) reports that, in Federal Fiscal Year 2013, 52.3% of heads-of-household in single-parent CalWORKs families had completed high school or the equivalent, and 56.1% of heads-of-household in two-parent families had. In each of fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15, DSS reports that approximately 19,000 associate’s degrees were earned by CalWORKs recipients (note that one individual may have received more than one degree in given year). During those same fiscal years, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office reports that approximately 31,000 CalWORKs participants were enrolled in community college in the state.
2. Cal-Learn. Cal-Learn is a statewide program for pregnant and parenting teens in the CalWORKs program, designed to encourage pregnant and parenting teens to graduate from high school or attain an equivalency diploma. Bonuses include four $100 bonuses per year earned based on report card results, and a one-time $500 bonus for graduating or attaining an equivalent high school diploma. Sanctions are applied if satisfactory grades are not maintained, and/or timely report cards are not submitted. Participation in Cal-Learn is limited to and required for pregnant/parenting teens who are receiving CalWORKs and who are under the age of 19, live in the same household as their child, have not graduated from high school or its equivalent, and are not in foster care. DSS estimates that 7,700 teens participate in Cal-Learn each month.
3. Related Legislation.
4. AB 1994 (Lopez) creates the CalED program to provide a one-time $500 supplement to eligible CalWORKs participants upon obtaining a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. This bill is pending on this Committee's Suspense file.
5. AB 2448 (Burke) changes CalWORKs requirements regarding permissible welfare-to-work activities to facilitate a recipient’s completion of a high school equivalency program. This bill is pending in the Senate Human Services Committee.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 12, 2016

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Susan Bonilla, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2058 (

Author:Mayes) – As Amended Ver:April 4, 2016

SUBJECT: CalWORKs: education incentives

SUMMARY: Creates the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to offer education grants to eligible CalWORKs participants who complete certain educational programs.

Specifically, this bill:

1. Makes certain Legislative findings and declarations regarding, among other things, the correlation between postsecondary education and employment and economic mobility.
2. Permits a CalWORKs recipient to apply to receive an education grant, which constitutes an ongoing adjustment to a participant’s monthly CalWORKs cash grant, awarded as follows:
   1. $100 per month for completion of high school or its equivalent;
   2. $200 per month for completion of an associate’s degree; and
   3. $300 per month for completion of a bachelor’s degree.
3. Stipulates that grant amounts are not cumulative, and that a participant shall receive, on an ongoing basis, the highest monthly bonus for which he or she is eligible.
4. Requires a participant to submit evidence of completion of an educational program to the county when applying for the education grant.
5. Requires a participant to complete an educational program that meets all of the following criteria in order to be eligible for an education grant:
   1. Is included in the participant’s welfare-to-work plan approved by the county;
   2. Is offered by an accredited educational institution; and
   3. Is completed by the participant while he or she is receiving CalWORKs assistance.
6. Requires the county to, upon verification of completion of an educational program, certify that a participant is eligible for an education grant and to ensure that the participant’s monthly cash grant is increased, as specified.
7. Prohibits a participant who was receiving an education grant and then ceased to receive CalWORKs assistance from being eligible to receive the same education grant if he or she begins receiving CalWORKs assistance again in the future, but permits the participant to be eligible to receive a different education grant if he or she attains a higher level of education while receiving CalWORKs assistance.
8. Makes a CalWORKs participant permanently ineligible for an education grant if the recipient has done any of the following:
   1. Exhausted his or her CalWORKs benefits;
   2. Been sanctioned; or
   3. Committed public assistance fraud, as specified.
9. Appropriates $20 million from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to fund services provided under the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program, as specified and including, but not limited to, education and career counseling services, employment development services, including job development staff positions, and work study positions.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes under federal law the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to provide aid and welfare-to-work services to eligible families and, in California, provides that TANF funds for welfare-to-work services are administered through the CalWORKs program. (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq., WIC 11200 et seq.)
2. Establishes income, asset and real property limits used to determine eligibility for the program, including net income below the Maximum Aid Payment (MAP), based on family size and county of residence, which is around 40% of the Federal Poverty Level. (WIC 11150 to 11160, 11450 et seq.)
3. Establishes a 48-month lifetime limit of CalWORKs benefits for eligible adults, including 24 months during which a recipient must meet federal work requirements in order to retain eligibility. (WIC 11454, 11322.85)
4. Requires all individuals over 16 years of age, unless they are otherwise exempt, to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility for CalWORKs. (WIC 11320.3, 11322.6)
5. Establishes the number of weekly hours of welfare-to-work participation necessary to remain eligible for aid, including requirements for an unemployed parent in a two-parent assistance unit, as specified. (WIC 11322.8)
6. States that there is, in the California Community Colleges, the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program, the intent of which is to assist CalWORKs recipients prepare for employment. Further requires, as specified and to the extent that funding is appropriated in the annual Budget Act, a community college to receive funds for curriculum development or redesign aimed at, among other things, linking CalWORKs courses to job placement through work experience and internships. (EDC 79200 -79203)
7. Requires that, as specified and to the extent funding is provided in the annual Budget Act, a community college receive funds in addition to those allotted for curriculum development and redesign to provide special services for CalWORKs recipients, including, but not limited to job placement, child care and workstudy, coordination with county welfare offices and other agencies, postemployment skills training and related skills training. (EDC 79204-79206)
8. Requires, as a condition for receiving funds for special services, community college districts and colleges to submit a report, as specified, to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges that includes data on the use of the moneys and other factors, including, but not limited to, the number of workstudy hours provided, the number of students receiving case management, and the hourly salaries and types of jobs in which CalWORKs recipients were placed. (EDC 79207)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.

COMMENTS:

CalWORKs: The CalWORKs program provides monthly income assistance and employment-related services aimed at moving children out of poverty and helping families meet basic needs. Federal funding for CalWORKs comes from the TANF block grant. The average 2016-17 monthly cash grant for a family of three on CalWORKs (one parent and two children) is $497.35, and the maximum monthly grant amount for a family of three, if the family has no other income and lives in a high-cost county, is $704. According to recent data from the California Department of Social Services (DSS), around 497,000 families rely on CalWORKs, including over one million children. Nearly 60% of cases include children under 6 years old.

Maximum grant amounts in high-cost counties of $704 per month for a family of three, with no other income, means $23.46 per day, per family, or $7.82 per family member, per day to meet basic needs, including rent, clothing, utility bills, food, and anything else a family needs to ensure children can be cared for at home and safely remain with their families. This grant amount puts the annual household income at $8,448 per year, or 42% of poverty. Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2016 show that 100% of poverty for a family of three is $20,160 per year.

Welfare-to-Work requirements: Welfare-to-work activities within the CalWORKs program include public or private sector subsidized or unsubsidized employment; on-the-job training; community service; secondary school, adult basic education and vocational education and training when the education is needed for the recipient to become employed; specific mental health, substance abuse, or domestic violence services if they are necessary to obtain or retain employment; and a number of other activities necessary to assist a recipient in obtaining unsubsidized employment.

Unless they are exempt, single parent adults must participate for at least 30 hours per week in welfare-to-work activities, whereas the minimum participation requirement for two-parent families is 35 hours per week. After receiving aid for up to a maximum of 24 months, adults without an exemption must meet federal work requirements, with more restrictive employment settings and allowable employment activities. If a CalWORKs recipient who is not exempt from participation does not meet his or her welfare-to-work requirements, the recipient is sanctioned for noncompliance, and that recipient’s portion of the family’s grant is subtracted from the amount provided to the family to meet basic needs.

CalWORKs time limits: Passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), which was the final piece of federal welfare reform legislation, marked the end of the previous Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program and the beginning of the block-granted TANF program, under which CalWORKs was established in California state law. Among the numerous programmatic changes included within the TANF program was a requirement that eligible parents work or participate in work training or other activities that lead to employment. The TANF program provides a great deal of flexibility in how states implement their respective programs, including the ability for states to establish more truncated time limits than the 60-month lifetime limit on aid for adult recipients authorized within it. As of 2011, California has limited aid to adult CalWORKs recipients to a lifetime limit of 48 months.

California Community College CalWORKs Program: The California Community Colleges CalWORKs program was created in 1997 when the state established the CalWORKs program in response to the federal welfare reform of 1996. Today, there are CalWORKs programs in all 113 of the state’s community colleges, as well as in one adult education center. Over 31,000 CalWORKs participants are enrolled in community colleges across the state.

The individual community college CalWORKs programs coordinate with local county human services offices and deliver case management and a number of services to participants, including: on- and off-campus subsidized work study placements; academic, career, and personal counseling involving intensive case management, career exploration, coordination of child care services, and collaboration with on-campus student services and off-campus community based organizations for emergency assistance. Importantly, English language learners and individuals seeking to complete a high school equivalency program can also access educational and other services through the California Community College CalWORKs program.

When originally established, the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program had an annual budget of approximately $81 million ($65 million in Prop 98 dollars, and $16 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] monies). This budget was cut significantly – by 46% – in 2002-03 as the state struggled with a budget deficit. Other cuts and augmentations have taken place since then; the budget for the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program is currently approximately $43 million ($35 million Prop 98, and $8 million TANF).

Educational attainment of CalWORKs participants: DSS reports that, in Federal Fiscal Year 2013, 52.3% of heads-of-household in single-parent CalWORKs families had completed high school or the equivalent, and 56.1% of heads-of-household in two-parent families had. In each of fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15, DSS reports that approximately 19,000 associate’s degrees were earned by CalWORKs recipients (note that one individual may have received more than one degree in given year). During those same fiscal years, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office reports that approximately 31,000 CalWORKs participants were enrolled in community college in the state.

Need for this bill: According to the author, “The goal of [this bill] is to encourage and support those on CalWORKs to get the education they need to become self-sufficient and to thrive. It is also intended to change the life trajectory of children in low-income households—not only would their immediate needs be better met, they would have a greater chance of achieving successful and fulfilling lives as adults. [This bill] will provide supports and incentives to help CalWORKs recipients pursue education, improving the well-being of low-income California families and helping break the cycle of poverty.”

Staff comments: The correlation between educational attainment and employment and income is well-documented. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, in 2015 for adults ages 25 and over with full-time jobs, those without a high school diploma or equivalent saw median weekly earnings of $493, compared to their counterparts with a high school diploma whose median weekly earnings were $678. Among the same population, the unemployment rate for those without a high school diploma was 8.0%, compared to 5.4% for those with a high school diploma. According to the same data, acquisition of an associate’s degree only improves outcomes: median weekly earnings were $798 and the unemployment rate was 2.8%. For those with a bachelor’s degree, median weekly earnings were $1,137, and the unemployment rate was 2.4%.

This bill seeks to facilitate CalWORKs recipient attainment of education by offering grants upon completion of various degrees. Ultimately, the hope is that educational attainment leads to acquisition of better-paying jobs leads to family self-sufficiency. These are important goals, and the CalWORKs program is designed to support families as they work to achieve them. However, many families can face barriers along the way: mental health issues, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, substance use disorders, domestic violence, and other factors and circumstances can hinder participation in and progress towards educational and career goals.

Recent changes in the CalWORKs program – including intensive up-front assessment of family circumstances using the Online CalWORKs Appraisal Tool (OCAT) and provision of family stabilization services – recognize the need to identify and address barriers many families face, barriers which can get in the way of attending school or finding a job, and which can also result in adults being sanctioned and the household CalWORKs grant amount being reduced. The CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program proposed by this bill may be better integrated into the CalWORKs program as a whole if it also took the approach of providing supports and barrier-removal services to participants en route to obtaining a diploma or degree, ensuring that any underlying causes that may be standing in the way of educational and career success are themselves addressed. The restoration of funding to the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program proposed by this bill may help to provide some of these supports and services, but no mechanism is currently proposed to measure the impact of this increased funding. Should this bill move forward, the author may wish to consider further refining the proposed CalWORKs Educational Opportunity and Attainment Program to better support students as they work to obtain diplomas and degrees. The author may also wish to request an annual report to the Legislature from the California Community Colleges CalWORKs program on the additional impacts seen on enrollment and graduation rates resulting from the increased funding proposed by this bill.

Suggested amendments: In order to ensure that CalWORKs participants who have cured any sanctions are not unduly prohibited from participating in the CalWORKs Education Opportunity and Attainment Program, and to make a technical amendment to remove findings and declarations from State Code, committee staff recommends the following amendments:

1. Strike line 18 on page 5 of the bill.
2. After line 20 on page 5 of the bill, insert:

(c) A CalWORKs recipient shall not receive an education incentive grant in any month during which he or she is sanctioned.

1. After line 7 on page 3 of the bill, insert:

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) In California’s high-skill economy, it is very difficult to get a good, middle-class job without vocational education or a college degree, let alone a high school diploma.

(2) This is a significant barrier to socioeconomic mobility for California’s highly vulnerable CalWORKs recipients, because as many as 65 percent of CalWORKs recipients do not have a high school education.

(3) Research has consistently shown that postsecondary education boosts social mobility, particularly for those at the bottom of the income distribution scale, and that a parent’s level of education has positive effects on his or her child’s level of success into middle adulthood.

(4) California has the seventh-largest federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash grant in the nation, and the second largest among the 10 largest states.

(5) Poverty remains a persistent problem.

(6) This act is intended to provide incentives for CalWORKs recipients to pursue education, thereby improving the opportunities and outcomes for adults and children in the CalWORKs program.

1. Strike lines 10 through 34 on page 3, and lines 1 through 10 on page 4 of the bill.

RELATED LEGISLATION:

AB 1994 (Lopez), 2016, creates the CalED program to provide a one-time $500 supplement to eligible CalWORKs participants upon successful completion of a high school equivalency examination. This bill is referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 2448 (Burke), 2016, changes CalWORKs requirements regarding permissible welfare-to-work activities to facilitate a recipient’s completion of a high school equivalency program. This bill is referred to the Assembly Floor.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organization (CCWRO)

County Welfare Directors Association of California

Western Center on Law & Poverty

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Daphne Hunt / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089