AB 1992: CalWORKs eligibility: immunizations.

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 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant program, state, and county funds. Under existing law, all applicants for or recipients of CalWORKs are required to ensure and provide documentation that each child in the assistance unit who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations, except as specified. If the documentation is not provided within the required time period, existing law prohibits the needs of all parents or caretaker relatives in the assistance unit from being considered in determining the grant to the assistance unit until the required documentation is provided. Existing law requires a notice of the obligation to secure immunizations to be given to the applicant or recipient at the time of application and at the next redetermination of eligibility for aid, and specifies information to be required in the notice.

This bill, commencing July 1, 2019, would instead require a county human services agency to first try to obtain verification from the California Immunization Registry that a child who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations. The bill would require, if the county human services agency is unable to secure the documentation using the California Immunization Registry, the applicant or recipient to submit the documentation. The bill would require the county to send a notice of the obligation to submit documentation and support compliance, as specified, to the applicant or recipient. The bill would revise the information required for the notice, as specified, including requiring the notice to include a statement that Medi-Cal covers nonmedical transportation services for children who receive Medi-Cal benefits to receive specified immunizations. The bill would require the county to provide another copy of the notice to the applicant or recipient if the county has not secured the documentation described above within 45 days of determination or redetermination of eligibility for aid. Because the bill would increase the duties of a county, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would require the department to implement the bill through an all-county letter or similar instruction, which the bill would require to be issued by July 1, 2019.

Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.

This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for the purposes of implementing the bill.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.