Welf. & Inst. Code, § 11265

Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 43, Sec. 42. (AB 120) Effective July 10, 2023. Conditionally inoperative on or after July 1, 2024, by its own provisions. Repealed January 1 following the inoperative date. See later operative version added by Sec. 43 of Stats. 2023, Ch. 43.

Conditionally operative on or after July 1, 2024, by its own provisions.

(a) The county shall redetermine eligibility annually. The county shall at the time of the redetermination, and may at other intervals as may be deemed necessary, require the family to complete a certificate of eligibility containing a written declaration of the information that may be required to establish the continuing eligibility and amount of grant pursuant to Section 11004.

(b) (1) The certificate shall include blanks wherein shall be stated the names of all children receiving aid, their present place of residence, the names and status of any other adults living in the home, the name and, if known, the social security number and present whereabouts of a parent who is not living in the home, and any outside income that may have been received through employment, gifts, or the sale of real or personal property.

(2) Each adult member of the family shall provide, under penalty of perjury, the information necessary to complete the certificate.

(3) When completing the annual certificate of eligibility, a recipient shall provide information on the certificate about income received during the 30 days prior to submission.

(c) (1) If the certificate is mailed to the family, it shall be mailed no later than the end of the month prior to the month it is due and shall be accompanied by a postage-paid envelope for its return. If a complete certificate is not received by the 15th day of the month in which the certificate is due, the county shall provide the recipient with a notice that the county will terminate benefits at the end of the month. Prior to terminating benefits, the county shall attempt to make personal contact by a county worker via telephone or, if consent has been provided, text message or electronically, to remind the recipient that a completed certificate is due and attempt to collect the necessary information to complete the certificate. The certificate shall be completed with the assistance of the eligibility worker, if needed. If contact is not made or the annual certificate of eligibility is not completed, the county shall send a reminder notice to the recipient no later than five days prior to the end of the month. For recipients also receiving CalFresh benefits, the certificate shall be completed pursuant to the timeframes required by federal and state law for the CalFresh program.

(2) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement and administer the changes made to this section by the act that added this section by all-county letter or similar directive until regulations are adopted.

(3) The department shall adopt regulations implementing the changes specified in paragraph (2) no later than July 1, 2025.

(4) The department may adopt regulations providing for waiver of the deadline for returning the completed certificate when the recipient is considered to be mentally or physically unable to meet the deadline.

(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2024, or on the date that the department notifies the Legislature that the California Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation to implement this section, whichever is later.

Repealed (in Sec. 42) and added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 43, Sec. 43. (AB 120) Effective July 10, 2023. Conditionally operative on or after July 1, 2024, by its own provisions.