Bill > AB1080

This bill aims to improve how foster youth manage and benefit from federal Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which are provided to eligible individuals, including blind and disabled children. It mandates that county placing agencies, which are responsible for the care of foster youth, must take action if a foster youth's eligibility for SSA benefits is terminated, similar to when their applications are denied, by filing requests for reconsideration and appeals. The bill also expands the guidelines for how these agencies act as representative payees, meaning they manage the benefits on behalf of the youth, to cover all types of SSA benefits and allows for the establishment of a wider range of accounts, like a Plan to Achieve Self-Support or a 529A plan, to conserve these funds and maintain eligibility for other benefits. Furthermore, when determining how SSA benefits should be used for the youth's best interests, counties must now consult with the child's or nonminor dependent's child and family team, which is a group of individuals involved in the youth's care and planning. Finally, the bill extends a provision that allows foster youth to receive their SSI benefits for at least one month out of every twelve by temporarily foregoing other benefits, to apply to all youth, not just nonminor dependents.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1080