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 recipientpermanently changes residencemoves from one county to another within the state. This bill would specify that, commencing no later than July 1, 2011, for recipients of SNAP benefitsthatwho 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 benefitsthatwho 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 benefitsthatwho are neither recipients of CalWORKs nor Medi-Cal benefits, an intercounty transfer processshallbe 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 officialsthatwho 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 recipientpermanently changes residencemoves 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)orand (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 byanall-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.