Bill > AB42

This bill aims to modify the eligibility criteria for CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) and CalFresh (California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) by excluding certain educational financial support from income calculations. Specifically, the bill would exempt grants, awards, scholarships, loans, and fellowship benefits provided to assistance unit members for higher education purposes from being counted as income when determining program eligibility and benefit amounts. These funds would also be excluded as resources for CalWORKs eligibility for 12 months after receipt, with the exception of cash payments directly from friends or relatives. The bill requires the State Department of Social Services to implement these changes through an all-county letter by March 1, 2026, and to exercise federal options that allow for such income exclusions, to the extent permitted by federal law. The bill does not provide additional funding for implementing these changes and includes a provision that if the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill creates state-mandated local costs, those costs would be reimbursed according to existing statutory procedures. The goal is to provide more financial flexibility for low-income students receiving public assistance by not penalizing them for educational financial support.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB42