Today's Law As Amended


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SB-1147 CalFresh: customer service standards: performance goals.(2013-2014)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Hunger and food insecurity continue to be a struggle faced by too many Californians. In 2011 and 2012, at least four million low-income adults in California experienced food insecurity.
(b) Reduced hunger and improved access to nutritious foods are fundamental goals of CalFresh, the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through which low-income Californians receive federally funded nutrition benefits.
(c) Low CalFresh participation results in less nutrition assistance for eligible individuals, less economic activity, and less sales tax revenue for the state and local governments.
(d) California continues to struggle with low CalFresh participation. In the 2009–10 fiscal year, just over one-half of eligible CalFresh households participated in the program.
(e) The state and counties have made significant fiscal and policy investments in CalFresh and in the food security, health, and well-being of participants.
(f) A number of other states have taken action to improve their SNAP performance and customer service by making data-driven policy decisions and setting statewide service expectations.
(g) Other California public benefit programs and entities, including Medi-Cal and the California Health Benefit Exchange, have increased data transparency and established standards and goals.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature, in an effort to improve CalFresh participation and access, to establish statewide CalFresh customer service standards and performance goals and to periodically monitor progress toward meeting those goals.

SEC. 2.

 Section 18920 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

18920.
 (a) The department, in collaboration with key stakeholders, shall establish statewide customer service standards and performance goals with regard to CalFresh.
(b) The department shall revise the standards and goals to reflect changes in CalFresh performance over time and shall measure the progress made toward the execution of the standards and goals on an annual basis.
(c) The department shall make the standards and goals publicly available for the purpose of informing the Legislature and the public.
(d) When developing the customer service standards and performance goals, the department and key stakeholders shall take into consideration what is achievable under current funding and, if applicable, the cost impact of improved program efficiency and the need for additional resource investment.
(e) The department shall, when appropriate, use the data made available in the data management tool developed pursuant to subdivision (f) to measure the progress made toward achieving the established standards and goals.
(f) (1) The department shall, in collaboration with key stakeholders, develop a data management tool that is dynamic in that it presents data showing change, activity, or progress over time, and the data can be extracted for further analysis. If feasible and appropriate, the department may expand upon existing technology for this purpose, including, but not limited to, expansion of the CalFresh data dashboard. The data management tool shall include data presented on a statewide and county-by-county basis to be derived by the department from the Medi-Cal Eligibility Data System (MEDS), the Statewide Automated Welfare System, or any other appropriate information management systems. The data management tool shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(A) Data regarding multiprogram enrollment, which may include, but is not limited to, dual eligibility and dual participation among CalFresh and Medi-Cal recipients.
(B) Data regarding CalFresh applications received through multiple channels, which may include in-person, online, and by telephone.
(C) Data regarding CalFresh application and recertification outcomes, which may include, but is not limited to, disposition and processing times.
(D) Data regarding CalFresh reapplication, which may include, but is not limited to, rate of return within 30, 60, and 90 days.
(2) Data from the data management tool shall be made publicly available on an ongoing basis and updated at least on a quarterly basis within 60 days following the end of each quarter, for the purpose of informing the Legislature and the public about CalFresh enrollment, benefit retention, customer service, and performance.
(3) The department shall, in collaboration with key stakeholders, identify necessary revisions to the data management tool as necessary to fulfill the standards and goals established pursuant to subdivision (a).