Today's Law As Amended


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AB-683 Homelessness: housing status data.(2011-2012)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 It is the intent of the Legislature to gather accurate and consistent data about Californians who lack housing stability and how these persons use health and social services.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 6.1 (commencing with Section 13710) is added to Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

CHAPTER  6.1. Housing Data
13710.
 (a) The State Department of Health Care Services shall inquire into the housing status of persons who apply for Medi-Cal benefits.
(1) Both paper and electronic application forms for Medi-Cal benefits shall include questions to determine whether the applicant is homeless, as defined in Section 582.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Questions included in the applications for benefits shall be drafted so that an applicant is able to identify easily with specific options offered as alternative responses and shall, at a minimum, address the permanency and condition of the applicant’s housing.
(2) Providing answers to questions regarding housing status specified in paragraph (1) shall be optional for Medi-Cal applicants and shall not be required in order for an application form to be considered complete or for the submission of an electronic application form for Medi-Cal.
(3) The State Department of Health Care Services shall refine the Medi-Cal application to be consistent with the definition referenced in paragraph (1) only when there is another reason to revise an application for benefits.
(b) At the end of the first fiscal year following application changes required by this section, the State Department of Health Care Services shall begin including in its relevant reports to the budget committees of the Legislature the number of Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are homeless, and the number of those beneficiaries who indicated being homeless for longer than one year.
13711.
 (a) The State Department of Social Services shall inquire into the housing status of persons who apply for CalFresh benefits.
(1) The State Department of Social Services shall seek any necessary federal waivers to align the CalFresh definition of a person who is homeless with the definition of homeless in Section 582.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and consistent with the questions identified in paragraph (3).
(2) The State Department of Social Services shall, upon approval of any necessary waivers as described in paragraph (1), and at the next scheduled revision of the paper and online application, refine the CalFresh application to be consistent with the definition referenced in paragraph (1).
(3) Both paper and electronic application forms for CalFresh benefits shall include questions to determine whether the applicant is homeless, as defined in Section 582.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Questions included in the applications for benefits shall be drafted so that an applicant is able to identify easily with specific options offered as alternative responses and shall, at a minimum, address the permanency and condition of the applicant’s housing.
(b) At the end of the first fiscal year following application changes required by this section, the State Department of Social Services shall begin including in its relevant reports to the budget committees of the Legislature the number of CalFresh households that are homeless, the number of CalFresh households that have been homeless for longer than one year, and the number of CalWORKS households that have requested homeless assistance.