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<ns0:Id>20250AB__227899INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Ávila Farías</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Legislator>
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<ns0:Name>Ávila Farías</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 12306.165 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to in-home supportive services, and making an appropriation therefor.</ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>in-home supportive services, and making an appropriation therefor</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>In-home supportive services: County of Contra Costa: innovative technologies.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law establishes the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, administered by the State Department of Social Services and counties, under which qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons are provided with services in order to permit them to remain in their own homes.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing federal law, the Community First Choice Option (CFCO) program, authorizes states to provide home- and community-based attendant services and supports to eligible Medicaid enrollees, as specified. Existing federal law provides federal financial participation for a state that provides services under the CFCO program.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law requires, beginning July 1, 2026, a county to pay a 100% share of the enhanced federal financial participation that would have been received if the state ceases to receive that funding for the
provision of services due to noncompliance of timely case reassessment for the CFCO program. Existing law requires, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, the state and county to each pay 50% of the amount of that lost enhanced federal financial participation.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the department to develop and make available a 5-year pilot project for the County of Contra Costa, to be implemented at the election of the county, for the purpose of improving IHSS eligibility and processing times through the use of innovative technologies. Under the bill, the project would be designed with a focus on decreasing IHSS application processing times for recipients participating in the CFCO program. The bill would require the county to post annual reports on project progress and outcomes.</html:p>
<html:p>The bill would continuously appropriate moneys from the General Fund to the county for the purpose of project implementation, in an amount equivalent to
the amount that the county pays as described above for the lost enhanced federal financial participation.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Contra Costa.</html:p>
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<ns0:Appropriation>YES</ns0:Appropriation>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 12306.165 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
,
<ns0:Positioning>immediately following Section 12306.16</ns0:Positioning>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>12306.165.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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(1)
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The department shall develop and make available a five-year pilot project for the County of Contra Costa, to be implemented at the election of the county, for the purpose of improving IHSS eligibility and processing times through the use of innovative technologies within the county.
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<html:p>
(2)
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The pilot project shall be available for implementation between the 2027 and 2031 calendar years, inclusive.
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<html:p>
(b)
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(1)
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If the County of Contra Costa elects to implement the pilot project, the county shall test innovative technologies that facilitate documentation and summarization of IHSS in-home eligibility interviews, with informed consent of
the individual.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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If implemented, the pilot project shall be designed with a focus on decreasing IHSS application processing times for recipients participating in the Community First Choice Option (CFCO) program, as established pursuant to Section 14132.956.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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During the implementation period, the county shall post on its internet website annual reports on progress and outcomes of the pilot project.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
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Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys are continuously appropriated from the General Fund to the County of Contra Costa, in accordance with subdivision (e), for the purpose of implementation of the pilot project described in this section and without regard to fiscal years, as long as the pilot project is in operation.
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<html:p>
(e)
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(1)
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The amount of moneys appropriated pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be equivalent to the amount of moneys that the County of Contra Costa pays pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (d) of Section 12306.16, which is the amount of the 100-percent share of the enhanced federal financial participation that would have been received pursuant to Section 1915(k) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396n(k)) for the months in which the state did not receive the enhanced federal financial participation due to noncompliance of timely case reassessment for the CFCO program.
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<html:p>
(2)
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Paragraph (1) shall not be construed as changing or otherwise affecting the requirement on the County of Contra Costa to pay its share pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (d) of Section 12306.16.
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<html:p>
(f)
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Upon completion or termination of the pilot project,
any unused funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall revert to the General Fund.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique demographic and structural circumstances in the County of Contra Costa, as follows:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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A pressing need exists to provide fiscal relief and explore innovative system improvements to help expedite recertification times and reduce late penalties under the Community First Choice Option (CFCO) program through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program.
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<html:p>
(b)
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Although the County of Contra Costa is a county of approximately 1,150,000 people,
constituting around 3 percent of the state’s overall population, the county is responsible for approximately triple that proportion of statewide late penalties.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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The County of Contra Costa already significantly overmatches for the administration of the program, with the CFCO late penalties being anticipated to approach nearly $5,000,000 annually if no legislative action is taken.
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<html:p>
(d)
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These high charges will have a detrimental and counterproductive effect, requiring resources to be diverted toward penalties rather than allowing the county to invest in improvements that achieve the intent of improving processing times.
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