SB 982: CalWORKs: maximum grant amount.

(1)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 for Needy Families block grant program, state, and county funds. Existing law requires the amount of cash aid paid each month to CalWORKs recipients to be determined by deducting the familys income, as specified, from specified sums, as adjusted for cost-of-living increases. Existing law prohibits the amount of cash aid paid each month from exceeding those sums, as adjusted for cost-of-living increases, plus any allowance for recurring special needs, as specified.

This bill would change incrementally increase over 3 years the sums from which the familys income is to be deducted to determine the amount of cash aid paid each month, as specified, and would prohibit the amount of cash aid from being more than those specified sums or less than other specified sums. The bill would require all of those specified sums to be increased each year by the same percentage as the increase in the federal poverty level for each family size, as annually updated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, except as specified. sums.

(3)Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. program, and requires a county share of cost to be subtracted from that General Fund appropriation.

This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill. bill, and would exempt counties from being required to contribute a share of cost to cover the incremental increases to maximum aid payments described in paragraph (1).