Assembly Standing Committee on Human Services

Good afternoon. I call this hearing of the Assembly Committee on Human Services to or today, once we have established quorum, we have nine bills on the agenda with no bills and consent. Please note that we limit testimony to two witnesses support and two witnesses opposition. Each. Witnesses two minutes to testify.

All additional witnesses will be limited to saying their name, organization and if they represent one, and their position on the Bill. I also want to note that we're accepting written testimony through the position letter portal on the Committee's website. Now for a little housekeeping file item number four, SB 875.

Glazier has been pulled by the author and will not be heard today. Once we have quorum, we will establish that, but we can start as a Subcommitee now and hear bills in order first. I think I saw Senator Hurtado here. Whenever she's ready, she can present SB 245. Whenever you're ready.

Thank you Mister chair. Good afternoon, Mister chair and Members of the Committee. Today I'm here to present SB 245 which modernizes the California Food Assistance program, expanding access to state funded nutrition benefits, and ensuring that California is a food for all states.

At the outset, I would like to mention that I will be accepting the Committee amendments, which would delay the implementation to October 2027 for the nutrition benefits over 8.8 million Californians, including approximately 4.7 million adults and 2 million children, struggle with food insecurity.

This translates to about 23% of households, with a rate rising to 28% for households with with children. California's social safety net protects families during times of economic hardship, but undocumented Californians are unjustly excluded from many safety net programs due to solely to immigration status.

California poverty measure data shows a disproportionate prevalence of poverty among undocumented Californians and severe economic disparities in the state. 41% of undocumented children and young adults ages zero to 26 in California are living in poverty throughout their life. Undocumented children and young adults will navigate systems that exclude them while experiencing systemic discrimination.

Compared to the statewide average for all Californians aged zero to 26, they are twice as likely to experience poverty. Not having enough healthy food can have serious implications for a child's physical and mental health, academic achievement, and future economic prosperity. This crisis has put a fresh spotlight on the everyday contributions that essential workers, many of them immigrants, make to our economy and our society.

In order to effectively address increasing food insecurity, reduce poverty and homelessness, and support an equitable recovery from the impact of Covid-19 it is critical that California eliminate anti immigrant exclusions with CFAP and bring equity to our state's food safety net.

California has a long standing history of enacting inclusive policies and has the power to end the exclusion of immigrants from our food assistance programs. Until all California residents can access food benefits if and when they need it, our institutions will not fully reflect the state's values of equity and inclusion. Expanding access to food benefits.

SB 245 aims to alleviate the disproportionate poverty and food insecurity experienced by undocumented Californians. Support for SB 245 is essential to ensuring that no California goes hungry due to their immigration status. Here to testify in support, I have Esther Chao with the California Policy Immigrant Center and Bertha, a resident of AD 63.

Thank you very much. Two minutes each, please.

Hi. Good afternoon, chair and Members. My name is Benyamin Chao and I'm the health and public benefits policy manager at the California Immigrant Policy Center. CIPC is a statewide immigrant rights organization that advances policies that uphold the humanity of immigrant immigrant communities in our state.

We urge this Committee to vote yes on SB 245, which would remove the exclusion of income eligible Californians from food benefits due to their immigration status or their age. As the Senator mentioned, califresh food benefits help families escape the cycle of poverty, yet hundreds of thousands of our neighbors are excluded.

According to the data shared from the Public Policy Institute of California, 64% of undocumented Californians are living in or near poverty, compared to 35% on average statewide. We can see that this exclusion impacts all of us, including children and mixed status families.

And when children live in poverty, they are more likely to develop emotional disorders and cognitive deficits, experience higher risk of illness, and face challenges with school and and economic mobility even into adulthood. Nearly half of undocumented Californians are affected by food insecurity, and for children, this rate is much higher.

Two in three undocumented children are currently facing food insecurity. We right now can reverse these inequalities. 30 seconds a healthier and more resilient California, and we can do that by making food for all a reality. We believe that hunger is hunger no matter where you were born, and we need to address it now.

No exceptions, no exclusions, no delays. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, your next witness, please.

[Spanish]

So I'll be translating for her. Hi, my name is Crystal. I'm with TODEC and this is Esther's testimony. Good afternoon, my name is Esther. I live in Lake Astronaut, California. I am a Member of TODEC.

My husband and I migrated to California with our newborn daughter 30 years ago in search for well being for our children and family. Our family has been through many hardships and have experienced fear, discrimination, and have been racially beaten, attacked because our origin and status we have suffered from hunger, but our faith in God keeps us strong.

Since we arrived to the United States, we began to work, and we have not stopped working since. In order to survive for us as parents, what is most important is keeping our kids and families housed and Fed.

We have worked in all types of jobs, having more than two jobs at a time, from harvesting and prepping food maintenance, selling at Swami, and working in sweatshops where I worked from 07:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. and we were not allowed to leave before those hours and we would get paid under the minimum wage.

And even by working multiple jobs, it was not enough to survive and maintain our family. What we always secure first is to make enough money to pay the rent so our family will not end up in the streets without shelter. The second is food. We save the most we can every week for groceries for our kids.

Even if my husband and I don't get to eat at times, my husband and my only meal is coffee for the entire day. Coffee fills up our stomachs and gives us the energy that we need to work for the long hours that we do work for our family. Food is a luxury.

We always ask ourselves, how can workers like ourselves that harvest and prepare the food for all? We don't make enough money to feed our own families. Food is sacred. For such reason, I share my family's reality and story because my family struggle is the same struggle of many families that work and contribute with our work and taxes to California's economy.

I am a cancer patient since 2008, but even with my medical condition, I don't have the luxury to take care of myself with healthy food and staying home. I need to go out and work with my husband because if we stop working, our families will not have a place to live or will not have food to eat.

We are a working community, but as workers we need to be healthy and alive to continue working and contributing to our State of California's economy. I share my story because I know that many people may not know what it means to suffer or live in fear or have experienced hunger. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you. And we'll pause briefly to establish quorum. Madam Secretary, if you could call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Now do we have any Members of the public who wish to sign support? Please come up to the microphone. Name organization.

Nicole Wordelman, on behalf of the Children's Partnership in support.

Rebecca Gonzalez, Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.

Good afternoon. Chair and Committee Members Jared Call with Nourish California Proud co sponsor and in strong support of SB 245 and Food for All.

Good afternoon. Andrew Shane, Grace End Child Poverty California and strong support.

Good morning. Good afternoon. Darby Kernan in support for the Public Health Institute.

Kat Besse with the California Alliance of Child and Family Services in support.

Kim Lewis, on behalf of Children Now in support.

Kelly Brooks, on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, the County Health Executives Association of California and the Board of Supervisors of Santa Clara County here in support.

Akrish Mara, on behalf of Elderly Care Everywhere in support.

Martha Guerrero representing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in support.

Trinh Phan with Justice in Aging in support. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Johan Cardenas with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and on behalf of our state Coalition in strong support. Thank you.

Thank you. Now, do we have any Members of the public wish to testify in opposition to the Bill? Please come forward. Seeing none, we'll bring it back to the Committee. Any questions or comments from Committee Members? Second bells will move in seconded. I'll invite the author to close if you'd like. zero, Mister Gipson, your comments.

Thank you very much. I want to commend the witness for her testimony. I was listening outside and thank you very much for one underlining our reality here in California. Did you hear what I said? We are the fifth largest world economy and we should not have people going hungry.

We should not have people struggling to put food on the table. Food for all. Regardless the zip code, regardless of who your mom and daddy is, regardless of the community you live in, our children and families should not be going hungry in this state as the fifth largest economy. Please add me as a co author.

Thank you very much. The Bill has been moved. oh, sorry. I'm gonna ask the author to close if she'd like.

Thank you, Mister chair and Committee Members. And to, you know, Assembly Member Gibson's point. No individual should go hungry, no matter what your status is, where you live, where you grew up, where you came from. This is a human right. And having access to food and making sure that it's affordable, that it's accessible is a human right. And we have to get this right. We really do. And with that, I would respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you very much. So it's been moved by Seminary Jackson, second by Seminary Gibson. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. I'm recommending an aye, as amended.

[Roll Call]

Four to zero. That bill is out. That bill is out. Congratulations. Thank you. We'll leave the roll open for absent Members. Next, we'll go to file item one to SB 85. Senator Wiener, when you are ready. And my apologies, Senator Wiener. I did not see you come in when I started off.

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Colleagues, let me start by I'm gonna accept the Committee's amendments and the analysis which brings the bill's language into conformity with current code, which changed since the bill was first drafted and introduced last year.

SB 85 will extend case management services for refugees who are settled in California, who are some of our most vulnerable residents. Currently, case management is funded by the Federal Government for 90 days under the US Refugee admittance program. And just backing up in terms of why case management is important.

Imagine coming to a country and it's all new. You are learning about the culture and integrating. You may not speak the language. You may or may not have any economic security.

And the purpose of case management is to make sure that we're able to help people transition into a new life and give them the support that they need. So the Federal Government funds 90 days, and that's not enough. And there are other states that, frankly, will provide up to two years of case management.

90 days is just wholly inadequate. And so this bill, subject to appropriation, because obviously, we're in a tough budget time. So this is creating the structure and we'll fund it when we're able to fund it. We'll extend that 90 days to 180 days with the possibility of going up to a full year.

That is still less than a shorter period of time than some states. But we really need to make sure that when people are coming here as refugees, that we actually give them the tools to be able to succeed. So I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

With me today to testify is Humayun Shah Anizadeh, the resettlement lead case manager at Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay, and Mikhail Sharmini, the NorCal refugee organizer at CHIRLA and herself a former refugee.

All right, thank you very much. Two minutes each, whoever wants to start first.

Okay, I'll start. Thank you so much, the Committee Members. My name is Humayun Shah Anizadeh. I'm a lead case manager at Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay. We are based out in Concord. I have been leading the resettlement and placement program, which is the case management program, for the last three years.

I came myself to California as a former SIV holder working with the US and NATO forces back in Afghanistan. At JFCS, we have provided resettlement services to around 1,400 Afghans since 2021. We have also provided provide services to 400 Ukrainians since the beginning of the war.

And also we have provided case management services to other refugees from around the world, including LGBTQ refugees. As mentioned by the respected senator, the current case management time is 90 days, which is insufficient for refugees to achieve stability, and they face significant challenges like cultural adjustment, learning English, and also obtaining driver's license.

It takes more than that time to receive critically important documents like employment authorization, Social Security, and also green card, which is essential for employment. And based on my experience, I haven't seen anybody, which is actually also very rare, to secure employment within the first 90 days of arrival.

Long-term housing is equally a challenge because it requires stable income and also work employment or work history. The abrupt end of trauma informed services after 90 days actually leave the refugees feeling abundant, and it adds to their stress.

Extended case management would allow them the time to establish themselves, contribute economically, and integrate fully into the society, reducing the burden on publicly provided services. Based on my experience, of course, refugees are hardworking and resilient. They have started businesses, secured employment, and I have seen that they have contributed immensely back to the community.

As a frontline worker and with firsthand experience, I strongly support the bill, SB 85, because extended case management beyond 90 days is a critical step to help refugees achieve self reliance and Independence. Thank you all right, thank you.

Thank you. This is Mikhail Sharmini NorCal refugee organizer from CHIRLA Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and also We Are All America. Good afternoon, Human Service Committee. I would like to present my testimony regarding the SB 85, extended case management, and just a little bit of background about myself.

I came from Afghanistan in 2019 through the SIB when I was working in Afghanistan with youth, military, native, and also being under the US Promote project with the presidential office. With everything crisis and also threat situation in Afghanistan, I decided to leave my country just because of the better future and also see of myself and my family in the U.S. But coming to the U.S. as somebody stranger even I had high level of skills and background and knowledge back in my country.

I faced many challenges at the beginning 19 days like in terms of case management, I was not able to get my Social Security, my all benefits, my driving license to find a job. So that's why this bill is very much important and I wish this bill exists when I arrived to the U.S. and alongside with the other benefits for this bill, it could also self sufficient refugees in the U.S.

Because the environment, the culture, the law, regulation, everything will be stranger and new for those folks that they are coming to this country. And even recently this bill is much much important and needed in terms of the migration crises and border issue and also with the newcomers specifically evacuated people from Afghanistan, Ukraine and other countries. So how should we make sure that we are not just saying California is welcome state?

How should we prove that California is a welcome state for everyone with open arm and also welcome displaced population. And also regarding some points in terms of how we serve them, we need to really extend a robust service and also extended case management service in the state of California.

And I would love to ask the Human Service Committee to really support this bill. And I really appreciate the Senator Weiner's support and being author of the bill. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much. Now do we have any members of the public who wish to testify in support of the bill? Please come to the microphone.

Mr. Chairman, Cliff Berg on behalf of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee, representing over 30 community Jewish organizations in California in strong support of this bill. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Priscilla Kudos here on behalf of the City of West Hollywood and the City of Los Angeles in support.

Good afternoon. Anallely Martin with the California Immigrant Policy Center in support.

Clifton Wilson on behalf of the city and county of San Francisco Board of Supervisors in support. Thank you.

All right. Thank you very much. Now do we have any witnesses in opposition? Please come forward. All right. Seeing none, we'll bring it back to Committee. Any questions, comments from Committee Members? Bill's been moved and seconded. I'll invite the author to close.

Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

All right. Well, I want to thank Senator Wiener for bringing this bill forward. I want to thank your witnesses for, of course, anchoring the journey all the way here to California, to the Bay Area, where you've also helped so many families in your same situation, resettle, and find a new home in the East Bay as well.

So I want to thank you for that. And, you know, Fremont used to be called little Kabul, but then it was too pricey for a lot of people, unfortunately. But I still think it's invaluable that you're helping some people find their new home in California. So, with that, I am recommending an aye as amended. The bill has been moved by Assemblymember Gipson, seconded by Assemblymember Calderon. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion is do pass as amended to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Roll Call]

Four to zero. That bill is out.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, colleagues. Thank you so much.

All right, we are still waiting on authors, so if there Senate office is watching, this is a good chance to come present your bill, Senators.

Senator Alvarado-Gil has joined us. So whenever you're ready, you can present file item five or eight, whichever you choose first.

Come well prepared with many folders today.

Which would you like to start with? Which bill?

Let's see here. We'll start with Senate Bill 1197, if you give permission.

Yes, absolutely. File item five, SB 1197, when you are ready.

Thank you so much, Chairman Lee. Good afternoon, Committee Members. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to present Senate Bill 1197. This is a bill that would clarify that in home respite services provided by Regional Centers are available to relative and non relative caregivers of children receiving AFDC FC funding, that is, the aid to families with dependent childcare, children, and foster care benefits. This includes extended family members, resource families, tribally approved homes, and caregivers of non minor dependents.

Ensuring access to in home respite services for relative and non relative caregivers. Receiving these benefits is essential to fulfilling the duty and providing a safety net for those who dedicate themselves to caring for our foster children.

A review of currently posted service policies from all the Regional Centers found that at least 10 out of the 21 Regional Centers have issues with either their purchase of service policies on respite services, with their respite needs assessment tools, or with both.

Additionally, some Regional Centers treat this benefit strictly as a generic resource and preclude anyone who receives this benefit from being eligible to receive respite. As legislators, we have a fundamental duty to protect and support our vulnerable populations within our jurisdictions. This includes the children in foster care as well as their caregivers.

Access to in home respite services should not be contingent on the relationship between the caregiver and the foster child. State legislators have our responsibility to promote equity and fairness and access to social services, regardless of whether the caregiver is a relative or a non relative.

Here to testify, thank you for being here in support of our bill is Ann Quirk from welcome to the Children's Law Center and Eric Harris. Hello, Eric, from Disability Rights California.

All right. Thank you so much. Two minutes each, whoever wants to go first.

Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Anne Quirk. I'm an attorney with Children's Law Center of California, a co-sponsor of SB 1197. We represent youth in foster care in Los Angeles, Placer, and Sacramento counties. For these children, respite is one of the most important Regional Center services.

I'm here today to tell you about two of our clients, Kevin and Maurice, whose experiences illustrate its importance. Kevin and Maurice have many things in common, they are both African American young men who are dually served by child welfare and the Regional Center systems.

They both have intellectual disabilities and require supervision beyond what is typical for their age. They both have relatives who love them but are unable to provide them with a home. There's important difference between them, though. They are served by two different Regional Centers, and these two Regional Centers interpret respite regulations differently.

Kevin's Regional Center takes the position that respite can only be provided to a family member and excludes foster parents. This presented a problem when we were preparing for Kevin's release from juvenile hall. He needed a foster home, and pointing out that respite would be available to a potential home would have made it easier to find one.

Without that support, the county found no one. When he left Juvenile Hall, Kevin was placed in congregate care, where he struggled and eventually ran away. And he's now back in Juvenile Hall. Now Maurice. Maurice requires constant supervision. Resource home after resource home took him in but found themselves exhausted.

In fact, over a five year period, Maurice lived in 19 different homes. His 20th home, an unrelated caregiver foster parent was struggling, too. This foster parent tried her best to support him, but was ready to ask that he be removed from her care when Regional Center respite started, even though she was not a family member.

Getting an occasional break improved her patience with his behaviors. He has now been in this home for three years, by far the longest time he has ever been in one home. Respite not only gave this caregiver a much needed break, it gave Maurice stability and a family.

SB 1197 will make it clear that children should not be excluded from this crucial benefit just because they are in a foster home. This will help children like Kevin find a home like Maurice did. And thank you to Senator Alvarado-Gil for authoring this bill, and thank you all for your time.

Thank you very much. All right, next witness, please.

Good afternoon. Thank you, Chair and Members, for this opportunity to testify today. My name is Eric Harris, and I am speaking on behalf of Disability Rights California. As an organization that protects and advances the rights of disabled Californians, we are excited to co-sponsor and support SB 1197. SB 1197, a simple yet impactful bill.

It makes it easier for some of California's most marginalized youth to live in homes of their own, not costly facilities, not congregate or carceral settings, homes. It does so by clarifying that children and non minor dependents in foster care cannot be excluded from receiving in home respite services funded by Regional Centers.

This is an essential support that gives caretakers a break and an opportunity to take care of themselves, which in turn results in increased placement, stability, and better outcomes for kids.

As the senator just explained, some Regional Centers deny access to in home support services based on the relationship between the caregiver and the foster child, believing, for example, that children who live with non relative resource families aren't eligible for this benefit.

Other Regional Centers treat AFDCFC benefits, which is a form of financial assistance for children who have been placed in foster care as generic resources, and preclude them or preclude anyone who receives these benefits from being eligible to receive respite. To be fair, we are also aware of Regional Centers that don't place any of these restrictions on in home respite at all.

They understand the state's intent to ensure that disabled children have the support they need to remain in their own homes, which is a priority in both child welfare and Developmental Services, the Developmental Services system. The point is that access to in home respite services should not be dependent on whether a child happens to be served up in Redwood Coast Regional Center, down in San Diego Regional Center, or anywhere in between.

By creating more consistency across Regional Centers in a way that expands access to in home supports, SB 1197 will build a more equitable system and reduce the risk that dual agency children end up in more costly facility-based care. I respectfully ask for your aye vote today.

Thank you very much. Now, if there's any members of the public who wish to add their support, please come into the microphone.

Daniel Savino, Association of Regional Center Agencies, also very much in support of this clarification. Really, we're all here together in the same goal for the same outcomes. We want to connect these children to the services they need and they deserve. Respite, of course, is critical. So very much appreciate the author.

Mr. Chair and Members, Rand Martin on behalf of Aviana Healthcare, which provides respite services and a lot of other services to more than 25,000 Regional Center clients in the state of California, in very strong support this bill. Thank you.

Kelly Brooks, on behalf of the California Community Living Network, here in support.

Amanda Kirchner, on behalf of County Welfare Directors, in support.

Kurt Child, on behalf of Disability Voices United, in support.

Rebecca Gonzalez, Western Center on Law and Poverty, in support.

Good afternoon. Kristen Power, Alliance for Children's Rights, in support.

Thank you very much. Now, are there any members of the public who wish to testify in opposition to the bill? Please come with the microphone. Any opposition? Seeing none, I'll bring back to the Committee for any questions or comments. Mr. Gipson.

It's not a question, but it's certainly a comment. I want to appreciate Senator Gil for bringing this bill before us today. I think as we stand up for those who are in foster care, it is the right thing to do because they need champions.

And for you to identify inequity within our statute laws and make it better to making sure we leave no one out. I commend you and would like to see if you would allow me to be a co author of this bill.

Thank you. Of course.

And I would like to floor a jockey if it gets to the floor.

Of course.

He's claiming everything now from the dais. Early dibs.

Just speaking my language.

Any other questions or comments from Committee Members?

Are you accepting bids? Move the bill.

All right. You're making me turn.

Bill's been moved and seconded. Senator, would you like to close?

Just respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you so much.

Well, thank you so much for bringing this bill forward. The bill was moved by Assemblymember Jackson. Seconded by Assemblymember Gipson. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion is do pass to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Roll Call]

Five to zero. That one is out. And now, Senator, would you like to move on to file item eight, SB 1396?

So we'll continue on with Senate Bill 1396. And I have my witnesses coming forward to take their seats. This is the opportunity for me to present Senate Bill 1396. It's a bill that will unlock the full potential of our CalWORKS home visiting program. It sits currently in the Department of Social Services.

This is a voluntary program meant to help new and young families and infants born into poverty to reach self sufficiency, supporting healthy young child development, and providing resources for employment.

Research shows that the critical importance of a child's first five years of life is that, in fact, 90% of the child's brain developing. Home visiting programs are proven to increase families economic self sufficiency, foster healthy child development, promote school readiness, and reduce child maltreatment.

Home visiting reinforces parents own efforts and abilities to give their children the best start possible. Despite the proven effectiveness of home visiting programs, the current CalWORKS HVP statute only funds enrollment until a child's second birthday, and it artificially limits a participant's duration.

This premature end of services prevents families from fully benefiting from the program and its potential long term impacts. Senate Bill 1396 will ensure that families and children can continue to benefit from these crucial services by extending the enrollment timeframe to 36 months of age and allowing participants to complete the full duration of the applicable home visiting program model.

The changes in this bill would only be implemented if funding is allocated, directed to counties, and contingent upon program capacity and the costs not exceeding the allocated budget. Here to testify in support are Amanda Kirchner from the County Welfare Directors Association and Stacy Lee from Children Now. Thank you both.

Thank you, Chair and Members of this Committee. I'm Stacey Lee, the chief learning officer and senior managing director for early childhood with Children Now, a whole child children's research, policy and advocacy organization focused on building power for kids prenatal to 26.

I'm also here today with my home visiting team members, Sara Ortega, associate director of strategic initiatives, and Kim Lewis, our advocate here in Sacramento. Thank you for the opportunity to present as co-sponsor of SB 1396, an important bill that will help ensure the state's investments in CalWORKS's home visiting program are maximized.

Voluntary evidence based home visiting programs match new and expectant parents with trained professionals who provide ongoing, tailored support starting as early as pregnancy and during the child's early years. Research shows that the benefits of evidence based home visiting last a lifetime for both the child and parent and generate significant cost savings for multiple public systems.

In the evaluation report for CalWORKS HVP, there were over 26 services families were referred to. The most frequent were for food, material goods, housing support, and mental health services. Of those referred to services, 60% to 90% or more accessed them. Home visitors connect families and children to the resources already in their communities.

Prior to working with families, home visitors are trained on cultural competency and implicit bias, trained to build relationships and focus on strengths and skill building. And additionally, 91% of children participating in the CalWORKS HVP received a developmental screening, compared to only 23% of children in Medi-Cal alone.

This bill proposes changes that Children Now heard were needed when we conducted a policy interview project last fall, culminating in our report, a statewide approach to strengthening home visiting.

Our home visiting team interviewed over 50 people, including local home visiting providers, county staff, local and state first five staff, state agency leadership, and national home visiting models to identify opportunities to strengthen the home visiting system in California. These recommendations are reflected in the changes included within SB 1396. Thank you for your time and I respectfully request your aye vote on this important Bill.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Exactly on the mark.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and Members. I want to thank the Senator for her work on this bill so much in your staff. Amanda Kirchner again with County Welfare Directors. We are one of the co-sponsors, proudly with Children Now on this issue.

Our county has brought this issue to us over the fall as well, and we were happy to partner with Children Now because we think it's really important that families are able to stay in this program as long as they want to be served and go through the program fidelity.

And I just really want to highlight for you that we believe that this is one of those preventative measures that helps make sure that we reduce child welfare interactions by doing something upfront with these home visitors who come in and provide support and resources and parenting techniques, and that we believe is just immeasurably beneficial. And so happy to answer any questions, but thank you again for your consideration. Urge an aye vote.

Thank you very much. Now, are there members of the public wish to find supportive bill, please come to microphone. Name and organization, please.

Nicole Wordelman, on behalf of the Orange County Board of Supervisors in support.

Danielle Bradley, on behalf of the California State Association of Counties in support.

Good afternoon, Chair and Members. Jonathan Munoz, on behalf of First Five Los Angeles in strong support. And we thank the Senator for her leadership on this issue.

Kelly Brooks, on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, the Rural County Representatives of California, and the County Health Executives Association of California, pleased to be here in support.

Good afternoon. Rebecca Gonzalez with the Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.

Kristen Power, Alliance for Children's Rights, in support.

Darby Kernan for First Five Association, in support.

Clifton Wilson, on behalf of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors in support. Thank you.

Awkrishn Mayor, on behalf of Elderly Care Everywhere, in strong support.

Andrew Shane, Grace to End Child Poverty, in support.

Thank you very much. Now, do we have any witnesses in opposition to the bill? Please come forward. Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the Committee for questions or comments. Any questions, comments? Seeing none, I ask the author to close.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to present to you today. And I respectfully ask for the aye vote.

Very good. The bill has been moved by Senator Gipson, seconded by Senator Calderon, and I am recommending an aye vote. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion is do pass to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Roll Call]

Five to zero. That bill is out. Congratulations. And I believe I only see Senator Becker in the room, right? So, Senator Becker, whenever you are ready, you can come present file item six, SB 1254. Whenever you're ready, Senator Becker.

Thank you, Chair and Members. Thanks for opportunity to present SB 1254. This is a bill that allows and assists incarcerated people in applying for CalFresh benefits up to 90 days before the release to better prepare for reentry. And to be clear, this bill provides the individuals with that CalFresh upon their exit from a facility.

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP, called CalFresh in California, sometimes known as food stamps, is the largest federal food assistance program in the nation. And again, to be clear, with CalFresh, these are federal dollars we are drawing down. Under federal law, incarcerated individuals become ineligible to receive CalFresh benefits after 30 days of confinement.

However, the USDA allows for waivers to deviate from that current provision, which 12 states have already done so. Also, Orange County has a pilot program of CalFresh pre-enrollment for incarcerated individuals applying for their waiver back in 2021. They do it for everyone leaving and they start the process 30 days before someone exits.

In fact, we've talked to a sheriff there and it's been a successful program so far. Food insecurity is one of the most challenging hurdles that previously incarcerated individuals faced upon reentry. Roughly, in 2019, roughly one in five formerly incarcerated people suffered from food insecurity.

While California has taken steps to establish and create a reentry process for medical benefits thanks to every one of my colleagues, there is a gap in current law to create an equivalent enrollment process for CalFresh and the statewide reentry process.

This bill builds upon existing work and connecting individuals with state services in an effective manner, decreasing barriers to reentry and helping address issues of food insecurity in California.

Briefly, specifically, the bill requires CDSS to submit the applicable waivers to the Federal Government to allow for pre-enrollment of incarcerated individuals prior to the release from state prison or county jail, again, as 12 other states already do.

It also creates a workgroup to develop and share recommendations for a statewide reentry process, incorporating all potential necessary resources for an individual's reentry into their community. Moving these barriers to necessary services will increase the likelihood of successful reentry for a previously incarcerated individual and maximize utilization of a federally funded program that benefits California.

With me today, Kameron Jones from Nourish California and Alyssa Moore from Legal Services for Prisoners with Children.

Thank you very much. Two minutes to each, please.

Thank you, Chairman and the Members of the Committee. Good afternoon. My name is Kameron Mims-Jones with Nourish California. For three decades, our mission has been to ensure equitable access to food, health, and well-being for all Californians.

Today, I'm here to share about how SB 1254 aligns with our values and those of communities disproportionately impacted by all aspects of the criminal legal system. Our most historically under-resourced communities, hardest hit by mass incarceration and a legacy of systemic racism, bear the greatest burden of public safety burden.

1254 was developed alongside those communities who have said enough is enough. We want solutions developed with our impact in mind, and not just by those who have the power and authority.

SB 1254 comes from a restorative framework, an upstream policy to diminish food insecurity, one of the many impacts of incarceration by enabling incarcerated individuals who will be eligible upon release to begin the process months before returning home and establishing a work group that will optimize California's current resources.

CalFresh is our state's branded name for the federal funded SNAP program, as the Senator shared, and it's been a lifeline helping millions to put foods on the table. It's administered by our county partners and it stands as our nation's most effective anti-poverty program.

Our organization has recognized that communities thrive when they have access to nutritious and culturally relevant foods.

A successful reentry hinges on timely access to other basics like food, transportation, healthcare and housing, and a successful, fully resourced individual is one who is going to be able to fully thrive and give back to the community of which they are returning.

We believe that we have engaged in sincere effort to engage all who would be involved in this work, which is how we've taken on a significant amount of amendments. And so today, I just ask for your support in moving this really powerful, impactful work. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, next witness please.

Hi, my name is Alyssa Moore with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, and this important bill will assist incarcerated people in applying for CalFresh benefits 90 days prior to their release to better help them prepare and close inequity gaps in access to affordable, healthy food upon release, without the seven to 21-day wait commonly waited to access emergency food benefits for each county in the state.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program called SNAP is the most effective food assistant program in my own community and many communities like mine of formerly incarcerated people.

However, California has historically had low ranking on the United States Department of Agriculture statewide ranking for eligible households to enroll and participate in SNAP CalFresh due to, in part to barriers to acquiring CalFresh for all applicants, particularly formerly incarcerated individuals.

Altogether, nearly one-third of eligible formerly incarcerated people are unable to access CalFresh once released due to various barriers. Passing this law gives us a fighting chance to focus on and use the tools we learned in our rehabilitation rather than the roar of our own bellies.

While there is already an existing reentry process for Medi-Cal and Social Security, there are no equivalent enrollment processes for CalFresh. Yes, food insecurity is one of the most challenging hurdles that previously incarcerated people face upon reentry.

But the CalFresh Act creates the process for those of us who will be paroled and removes these unnecessary barriers to reentry. In doing so, it helps reduce food insecurity amongst an already very vulnerable population.

For these reasons, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and All of Us or None and all of our eight California chapters ask for your support on Senate Bill 1254 and thank you for your time.

Thank you very much. Now, do we have any members of the public who wish to testify in support of the bill? Please come up to the microphone now.

Trinh Phan, with Justice in Aging in strong support. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Carlos Santana, on behalf of the California Immigrant Policy Center, in support.

Eric Harris, Disability Rights California, strong support.

Lena Din, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, in strong support.

Taqwaa Bonner, housing advocate for All of Us or None and Legal Service for Prisoners with Children. And I'm in full support.

My name is Tan. I am a Member of Taqwaa's Youth Diversion and I support.

Tanika Robinson with Taqwaa's Youth Diversion, TYD and I support.

Duke Cooney on behalf of ACLU California Action in strong support. Thank you. Senator.

Rebecca Gonzalez, Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.

Andrew Shane, GRACE End Child Poverty California in strong support. Thank you.

Darby Kernan, with the California Association in Food Banks in support.

Ezer Pamintuan with Alameda County Community Food Bank in strong support.

Noe Gudino, with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and All of Us or None in strong support.

Gilbert Anthony Murillo, with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and All of Us or None. Strongly support.

Thank you. Now, do we have any witnesses in opposition? Please come forward. Seeing no witnesses in opposition. I'll bring back to the Committee for any questions or comments from Committee Members. All right, see. All right. Seeing no questions or comments, I'll invite the author to close.

I thank you, appreciate the comments and the support, and respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Well, thank you so much for bringing the bill forward. The bill has been moved by Assembly Member Jackson, seconded by Assembly Member Gipson, and I'm recommending an aye vote. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion is do pass to the Assembly Public Safety Committee. [Roll call]

Five to zero.

That bill's out. Congratulations. And I believe I see Senator Menjivar here. So whenever Senator Menjivar is ready, you can present file item seven, SB 1281.

Good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Chair, Human Services Committee Members. We've heard about the great success of what this pilot program in the last years has turned into. The Self-Determination Program, when successful, really brings transformative resources for individuals who get services through the Regional Centers.

However, with great intention comes potential barriers that doesn't meet the mark of what we wanted this program to look like. What we're seeing, and as a result of a recent report that came out just last year, that there are some racial barriers, some lack of standardization barriers in ensuring that the SDP is as accessible as their intent was in the beginning.

So SB 1281 is looking to address some of those concerns we saw from this report. SB 1281 is looking to standardize and streamline the procedures. In the past year and a half, I've had the honor and privilege of working alongside and hearing, having listening sessions of parents with children who go through the SDP, or who are fearful of going through the SDP because of what they're told.

We have stories of parents who are told that there are bad moms because they're seeking for help, because they want to do this extra program for them. That is preventing them from being part of this. So there's a couple of things we want to do with SB 1281. Like I mentioned, we want to streamline and standardize it.

We want to ensure that Regional Centers respect a participant's provider choice. We want to empower the participant. They know best what is going to work for them. The parent or guardian knows best of what's going to work for the individual that's going to go through SDP.

We don't want there to be a one size fits all for every single individual. We want to make sure they have the ability to pick what services and what providers they will have access to. We want to make sure that, when entering this program, that there's access to transition support from trusted partners.

Just because we are giving a resource to someone is not enough. There has to be a trusted transition process. And we want to clarify that the cost with the financial management services cannot be passed on to the participants. It is not the participants responsibility, or should it be their burden when a payment does not go through.

And lastly, we want to make sure that, included in the annual report that is given to us, the Legislature, that we include the adequacy of financial management services. Are they working? Do we need new FMS and so forth?

So to that, Mr. Chair, I'd like to turn over to my witnesses to speak more on this. Because we want to ensure that the BIPOC communities receives these services because the statistics behind the usage of the services are staggering. While majority of participants are close to 50% BIPOC, less than 50% of them are successful in participating in it. So Mr. Chair, I'd like to now turn to my witnesses.

All right, thank you very much. Two minutes each, please. Whoever wants to start first.

Curt Child.

Mr. Chair, Members, Curt Child with Disability Voices United. We want to thank Senator Menjivar for her commitment to this issue and the Self-Determination Program, and a good champion. She's been working with our community over the course of this year, and we appreciate that as we move an important piece of legislation that we think will help improve the Self-Determination Program, which we believe is really the future of what the delivery of developmental services in California should look like.

It's a program with, we think, some very incredible promise with participants reporting outcomes and great satisfaction with the program. But they've also requested frustrations with the overly complicated processes that have been unnecessarily imposed on the program.

And I think we see as a challenge that you heard about in earlier bill about the disparities in how Regional Centers, the 21 Regional Centers across the state, interpret provisions in with the statute. So what this bill is critical in doing is creating some standardization and simplified processes to get individuals into this program.

It's been 10 years since the program was statutorily authorized. The rollout's been incredibly slow. I think right now we've got about 460,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in the system and less than 1% are actually enrolled in Self-Determination.

And the second piece is that we found that's been a critical barrier to including persons with diverse backgrounds, color, and geography. And so we believe that both the provisions that are here on streamlining the processes, but including directions that are standardized for financial management services will improve their participation. So we, like the Senator stated, are hopeful that this can continue to help move individuals living independent lives in their communities. And we urge your aye vote on that.

Thank you very much. Our next witness.

Thank you, Chair and Members. My name is Oscar Mercado, and I'm an individual with autism and a participant in the Self-Determination Program served by the Valley Mountain Regional Center. I'm also the Communication and Outreach Manager at the Integrated Community Collaborative.

The ICC organization supports mostly Latino and Spanish speaking families to navigate the systems that serve people with developmental disabilities. The Self-Determination Program has been life changing for me. I'm here today thanks to the SDP that pays for staff to bring me here in support in my efforts in advocacy.

The SDP has also kept me from being isolated and provided opportunities for socialization by pushing me out of my comfort zone and integrating me into the community, which is vital for personal growth and adult Independence. I have a personal assistant charged with helping me with my career goals.

Someday hope to join the seminary and become a Roman Catholic priest. I want to use that position to further advocate for the IDD community within the Latino population and hopefully become a beacon of inspiration for many of those who live under the shadows of this society, that they may realize that they can achieve their goals and dreams and to not be afraid.

But the way the SDP has been implemented creates many barriers and roadblocks. It took well over a year to get me started into the SDP. Eventually, I made it into the SDP, and then I started to face new obstacles from the financial management services who are supposed to pay for the services by distributing the budget accordingly to my employees. Their processes are confusing and way too complicated, so it creates fear about getting into the program.

And sometimes these FMS's aren't even doing what they're paid to do. They cause delays in communicating with the client and employees, confirming or verifying the information in documents. One example of the obstacles I encountered regarding the FMS was that one of my employees wasn't getting paid on time.

This tardiness from the FMS caused me to fear losing a trustworthy employee because of late payment. Even though they eventually did pay the employee all the hours worked that month prior, I did not need the additional worry and stress of losing my employee due to tardiness on behalf of the FMS.

The program is designed to be liberating and non-stressful, but there is so much bureaucracy and not enough accountability. SB 1281 will change that. This is why the bill is so important. SB 1281 will ensure that, if employees aren't paid, the FMS will be liable for labor code violations and not the SDP clients or their families.

These many barriers are why the Latino community is significantly underrepresented in the program. Many Latino families have never even heard of the SDP, and even if they have, they often get discouraged from participating due to these barriers from the FMS and the Regional Center stating that it's too hard.

The bill requires DDS to make measurable progress in enrollment by race and ethnicity, which is critical for our community and I want to personally thank Senator Menjivar for her incredible support for our community and authoring SB 1281. The Self-Determination Program is amazing, and I want other IDD participants to have the same chance to benefit from it. Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much. Now, if we have members of the public who wish to testify in support of the bill, please come to microphone. Name and organization.

Daniel Savino, Association of Regional Center Agencies. Thanks to Senator Menjivar for working with us on some amendments. We are now in support.

Eric Harris with Disability Rights California in support.

Nicole Wordelman on behalf of the Children's Partnership in support.

Good afternoon. Blanca Mercado, mother of a child with autism, ICC member, and I strong support. Thank you.

Diego Mercado, brother of Oscar Mercado and ICC collaborator, in support.

Oscar Mercado, father of Oscar Junior, in strong support. Thank you.

Andrew Shane, GRACE End Child Poverty, in support. Thank you.

Thank you. Melissa Cortez on behalf of Autism Speaks, also on behalf of the Council of Autism Service Providers in support.

Thank you. Now, do we have any witnesses in opposition? Please come forward. Any witnesses in opposition? Seeing none. We'll bring back to the committee for any questions or comments from any Members? Seeing none. I'll invite the author to close.

Thank you so much, fellow Assembly Members. Colleagues, you know this is a step in the right direction. My bill is asking that there be measurable improvements to achieving equity. And without this being in statute, I fear that we won't move towards that. So with that, respectfully asking for an aye vote.

Thank you very much. I appreciate your work to strengthen this program. And the bill has been moved by Assembly Member Jackson, second by Assembly Member Calderon, and I'm recommending an aye vote. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion is do pass to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Roll Call]

6-0, that bill's out. Congratulations. And now we will move to Senator Skinner with file item two, SB 242. Whenever you're ready.

But let me give a little explanation, and that is, in 2022, we, the California Legislature, through the budget, established HOPE accounts. And we did that in recognition that there were many children who were orphaned by COVID, and that those children were then be in a circumstance where many of us, not all, but many of us, benefit.

When we become either 18 or older, we get support from our parents that go to college, perhaps, or to buy our first car, or even at points to buy a home. But obviously, kids in this situation would not have such to turn to. And so, the establishment of HOPE accounts were to recognize that the.

And many, many of the workers who unfortunately perished in those beginning years of COVID were our low wage workers, who were considered essential workers. So, anyway, so the HOPE accounts were established, and they were established both for kids whose parents died from COVID and for our foster children. And that's administered by our Treasurer's Office.

And the state made a small investment in for each of these children. And then the Treasurer's Office invests it over time. And then when the kid comes of age, they become entitled to this funding.

Now, what this bill does, and we, California, were the first in the nation to do so, is that ensures that funds that are deposited into the HOPE trust accounts are not considered income or assets for the person's qualification for needs tested programs. It also guarantees that the funds wouldn't be collected for the meeting of other debts.

And it clarifies that the HOPE Advisory Board would include a former foster youth and former youth impacted by poverty. Because in the establishment of HOPE accounts, we established an advisory board within the Treasurer's Office.

So, to testify and support, I have Andrew Chain, who's the Managing Director of Public Policy for End Child Poverty in California, and Casey O'Connor, who's the Executive Director of the HOPE for Children's Trust Account in the California Treasurer's Office.

Thank you very much. Two minutes each, whoever wants to start?

Thank you, Senator Skinner. Andrew Shane from End Child Poverty. As Senator Skinner noted, in response to the growing wealth gaps and the compounding effects of generational poverty, GRACE End Child Poverty, End Poverty in California, Liberation and Generation, were proud to work with the Senator and the State Treasurer's Office on the HOPE accounts in 2022.

This bill makes important adjustments to fulfill the vision of that this is critical. As we saw in new data released just yesterday that as of 2022, we saw a shocking and shameful, honestly, 7% increase in child poverty, the single largest increase in child poverty since 1967.

And so, thanks to the staff, whose analysis, in particular the equity statement, thank you to the Assembly for including this. It really nails the critical nature of this work, as HOPE accounts may be the only asset in many of these children's names as Senator Skinner spoke to.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for foster youth and children bereaved by the pandemic. Children are living in neighborhoods already experiencing disproportionately high poverty rates and the pain of and did not experience that pain equally. So, some of the key changes made in this bill prevent unintended consequences.

So, we must ensure that in establishing new programs like this, we don't have unintended consequences with our traditional public safety net programs. And of course, we want to walk the values to make sure that those youth with lived experience are represented on the HOPE Board.

Those changes codify and put the program on a strong foundation so we maximize the potential of the state's investments to reverse the racial wealth gap and help these youth pursue their dreams.

Thank you very much. Next witness, please.

Thank you and good afternoon, Chair Lee and fellow Members of the Committee. I'm Casey O'Connor, the first ever Executive Director of the HOPE program, and we are very excited to have it in the Treasurer's Office.

The treasurer has several other savings programs for individuals such as CalAble and CalKids that work on helping lift children out of poverty and other folks with specific needs.

This is a unique program, and not only is it trying to bridge the wealth gap, but it also is creating a financial mentorship and leadership, and education for these vulnerable youth that want to learn how to invest and grow their money and figure out what they can do with this monies.

So, we are very much excited about it. Thank you to Senator Skinner. I've been working with her on this since I was the Legislative Director doing the technical assistance on AB 156. And this is such a revolutionary program that I decided to take the leap to be the Executive Director because it's that important to us.

The board was established through AB 156. They had 17 meetings along with an advisory work group, all in 2023, to work out the fundamentals that we listed in the report to the Legislature. The report listed recommendations to make sure that we have a timely and effective implementation. So, the report was delivered February 1st, 2024.

And now you see before you some of the recommended amendments to make sure that we can establish this program as envisioned. I believe that we are doing a great job and I'm happy to answer any questions about the program itself, but respectfully ask for your aye vote at the time.

Thank you very much. Now, do we have any members of the public who wish to testify in support of the bill? Please come to the microphone. Name, position.

California Alliance of Child and Family Services in support.

Good afternoon. Rosanna Carvacho Elliott here on behalf of the City of Alameda, in support.

Good afternoon. Carlos Santana on behalf of the California Immigrant Policy Center in support.

Rebecca Gonzales, Western Center on Law and Poverty, in support.

Kelly Brooks on behalf of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors here in support.

Darby Kernan on behalf of the Amity Foundation and the California Association of Food Banks in support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Now, do we have any witnesses opposition? Please come forward. Seeing none, we'll bring it back to Committee for any questions or comments from Committee Members. Seeing none. I will invite the author to close.

Thank you. I think we had a good presentation on what both the HOPE accounts do and what this bill does. And with that, I ask for your aye vote.

Thank you very much, Senator Skinner, for bringing this bill forward. I do believe that providing bereaved children and long-term foster children, a trust account they can access as adults, has the potential to completely change their life. So, I really appreciate your work and the Treasurer's Office as well. I'm recommending an aye vote.

The bill was moved by Assembly Member Jackson, seconded by Assembly Member Calderon. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion is do passed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Roll call]

Six to zero. That bill is out. Congratulations.

Great. Thank you so much.

All right, we have one Bill left, but seeing as the author is not yet here, here. Madam Secretary, do you want to allow Members to add on? We'll go through the bills for add on. Yes.

[Roll Call]

All right, we are still waiting on the author for file item nine, so we shall wait here for 10 more minutes.

All right. Vice Chair Essayli has agreed to present file item nine, SB 1463, by Senator Niello. So whenever you're ready.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This bill impacts the Self-Determination Program, which we actually just heard about. SDP, which is known for, went into effect July 2021. The program has received criticism from some who say the program has challenges ranging from lack of knowledge among Regional Centers, slow approval times, insufficient flexibility with financial management system operations, inconsistent policies.

Currently, less than 1% of eligible individuals are in the program. This bill will empower the Governor to appoint an appointee whose responsibility is to oversee the successful implementation and operation of SDP. So with that, I'll turn it over to the witness.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Members. Curt Child with Disability Voices United. We'd like to thank Senator Niello, I'm sure you'll pass that on to him, for all the work he's done in support of the disability community and particularly the IDD community.

As you've heard earlier in testimony about the Self-Determination Program and the complexities that sort of have built up around that over the last 10 years and the difficulties of individuals successfully maneuvering the way to get into the program and successfully manage within the program so they can have more Independence in their lives.

It often feels very overwhelming to them to try and move through this program, and so we've made every effort to try and simplify that. And as we had stated in the last bill that we talked about, I just want to say that we think one critical piece of this is that it needs to get higher attention within the Department of Developmental Centers and Department of Developmental Services.

What the bill does would create a new position specifically to oversee the Self-Determination Program. We think this would add significant accountability to the performance of the program and more direct sunshine on how the program operates. It would be a position that would be appointed by the director and subject to confirmation by the Senate. And so with that, we urge your aye vote on the bill.

Thank you very much. Now, do you have members of the public who wish to come forward to support the bill?

He misspoke. It's appointed by the Governor, not the director.

Very good. But do we have any members of the public who wish to testify in support of the bill?

Oscar Mercado from Integrated Community Collaborative and Self-Determination participant in full support.

Blanca Mercado, ICC member. I am support. Thank you.

Diego Mercado, ICC collaborator in support.

Oscar Mercado, father of an autistic kid, in support.

Thank you very much. Now, do we have any witnesses in opposition to the bill? Please come forward. Seeing none. Bring it back to the committee for questions or comments. Seeing none. I'll let the surrogate author close.

Do I make a motion or... I'll move the bill.

All right. But do you have a close?

And I just respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Very good. All right, the bill has been moved and seconded. I am recommending an aye vote. The bill has been moved by Vice Chair Essayli, seconded by Assembly Gipson. Madam Secretary, please call the roll for SB 1463.

The motion is do pass to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Roll Call]

6-0. That bill is out. Business for the Assembly Human Services Committee is complete. The hearing is now adjourned.