Existing law establishes various means-tested public social services programs administered by counties to provide eligible recipients with certain benefits, including, but not limited to, cash assistance under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and health care services under the Medi-Cal program. Existing law establishes various awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission and establishes eligibility requirements for these awards for participating students attending qualifying institutions.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and provides for their governance. Existing law establishes county boards of education and school districts throughout the state to administer the public elementary and secondary schools within their respective jurisdictions. Existing law requires county boards of education and school district governing boards to appoint at least one high school pupil as a pupil member of the board in response to a petition from high school pupils requesting the appointment of one or more pupil members. Existing law authorizes the county board of education and the governing board of a school district to award a pupil member elective course credit or monthly financial compensation, or both, as provided.

This bill would authorize the State Department of Social Services to implement, interpret, or make specific the income exclusion for programs under its jurisdiction by means of all-county letters or similar written instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. The bill would specify that its provisions apply to programs under the department’s jurisdiction beginning on the date that the department notifies the Legislature that the California Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation to implement the income exclusion for those programs. The bill would require the department to issue guidance as necessary to begin automation no later than July 1, 2026.