BILL NUMBER: AB 2018	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 5, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 6, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Skinner
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Adams   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2010

   An act to add Section 11053.2 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2018, as amended, Skinner. Food stamps: intercounty transfer of
benefits.
   Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutritional
Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, under
which food stamps are allocated to the state by the federal
government and are distributed to eligible households by each county.

   Existing law provides for the intercounty transfer (ICT) of
benefits for recipients of CalWORKs, In-Home Supportive Services
(IHSS), or Medi-Cal benefits that move from one county to another
within the state, as prescribed.
    This bill would require the State Department of Social Services
to establish a process of intercounty transfer of eligibility for
benefits under SNAP when a recipient  permanently changes
residence   moves  from one county to another
within the state. This bill would specify that, commencing no later
than July 1, 2011, for recipients of SNAP benefits  that
  who  are also recipients of CalWORKs benefits,
the ICT process utilized for CalWORKs shall be used. This bill would
further specify that, commencing no later than July 1, 2011, for
recipients of SNAP benefits  that   who 
are also recipients of Medi-Cal benefits, but not recipients of
CalWORKs, the ICT process utilized for Medi-Cal shall be used.
   This bill would require that, commencing no later than January 1,
2012, for recipients of SNAP benefits  that  
who  are neither recipients of CalWORKs nor Medi-Cal benefits,
an intercounty transfer process  shall  be
developed, as specified. This bill would specify that it is the
responsibility of the recipient changing residence from one county to
another within the state to notify the county currently paying food
stamp benefits of the move and to apply for redetermination of
eligibility within the new county of residence. This bill would
require the recipient's old county of residence to notify the new
county of residence of the recipient's move as soon as the recipient'
s location in the new county is known  , and   .
It  would require the new county of residence to be responsible
for determining the recipient's continued eligibility for benefits
under SNAP  , but that, to the extent permitted by federal law,
the new county of residence would not be required to interview
persons in the food stamp household to determine continued
eligibility  . 
   It would, however, require that, if an applicant or recipient of
food stamp benefits has an application, quarterly or semiannual
report, or renewal pending in the old county of residence at the time
the applicant or recipient moves to the new county, the old county
of residence shall process the application, quarterly or semiannual
report, or renewal prior to transferring the case to the new county.

   To the extent that this would increase the duties of county
officials  that   who  administer public
aid programs, including the Medi-Cal program, CalWORKs, and the
federal SNAP program, 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.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 11053.2 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   11053.2.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall
establish a process of intercounty transfer of eligibility for food
stamp benefits provided under Chapter 10 (commencing with Section
18900) of Part 6 when a recipient  permanently changes
residence   moves  from one county to another
within the state. The intercounty transfer process shall facilitate a
recipient's move from one county to another without a break in
benefits and without requiring a new application to be submitted to
the new county of residence.
   (b) For recipients who are receiving CalWORKs benefits pursuant to
Article 2 (commencing with Section 11250) of Chapter 10 of Part 6,
the intercounty transfer process utilized for CalWORKs shall be used.
This subdivision shall be implemented no later than July 1, 2011.
   (c) For recipients who are receiving Medi-Cal benefits pursuant to
Article 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Chapter 7, but are not
receiving CalWORKs benefits pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with
Section 11250) of Chapter 10 of Part 6, the intercounty transfer
process utilized for the Medi-Cal program shall be used. This
subdivision shall be implemented no later than July 1, 2011.
   (d) For recipients who are not receiving CalWORKs or Medi-Cal
benefits as described in subdivisions (b)  or  
and  (c), an intercounty transfer process shall be developed, in
consultation with representatives of county human services
departments and advocates for recipients. To the greatest extent
possible, the process shall be simple, client friendly, ensure the
client does not need to provide copies of documents that were
previously provided to the old county of residence, build on existing
processes for the programs described in subdivisions (b) and (c),
and minimize workload for county eligibility operations. The process
developed pursuant to this subdivision shall be implemented no later
than January 1, 2012.
   (e) Upon the implementation of the intercounty transfer procedures
set forth in this section, it shall be the responsibility of a
recipient changing residence from one county to another within the
state to notify the county currently paying food stamp benefits of
the move and to apply for a redetermination of eligibility within the
new county of residence. The old county of residence shall notify
the new county of the recipient's move as soon as the recipient's
location in the new county is known. The new county of residence
shall be responsible for determining the recipient's continued
eligibility for payment of food stamp benefits.  To the extent
permitted by federal law, the new county of residence shall not be
required to interview persons in the food stamp household to
determine continued eligibility.  
   (f) Notwithstanding subdivision (e), if an applicant or recipient
of food stamp benefits has an application, quarterly or semiannual
report, or renewal pending in the old county of residence at the time
the applicant or recipient moves to the new county, the old county
of residence shall process the application, quarterly or semiannual
report, or renewal prior to transferring the case to the new county.
 
   (f) 
    (g)  The department shall implement this section by
 an  all-county letters or similar instructions from
the director and shall adopt regulations as otherwise necessary to
implement this section no later than January 1, 2012.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.