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SB-491 Public social services: county departments: mail programs.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 07/03/2023 09:00 PM
SB491:v97#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  July 03, 2023
Amended  IN  Senate  April 18, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 491

Introduced by Senator Durazo
(Coauthors: Senators Umberg and Wiener)

February 14, 2023

An act to add Section 10814 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 491, as amended, Durazo. Public social services: county departments. departments: mail programs.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services to administer public social services and authorizes the department to adopt regulations to implement the law enforced by the department.
Existing law requires a county board of supervisors to establish a county department, run by a director appointed by the board, for the administration of public social services and promotion of public understanding of the public social services provided by the county. Existing law authorizes the board to contract with other counties, the State Department of Public Health, or the State Department of Health Care Services for the operation, maintenance, and establishment of services a county board of supervisors deems desirable to provide to eligible individuals.
This bill would require a county human services agency local county entity that administers public benefits to develop and implement a program to ensure that, at a minimum, homeless residents of a county can pick up and receive government-related mail addressed to them at a place designated by the agency. local county entity. The bill would make the program participation optional for homeless residents. The bill would also require the agency local county entity to provide program participants with specified information regarding the program, including hours of operation. The bill would clarify that program participation would not establish residency for the purposes of elections or school districts. residency. The bill would define what qualifies as government-related mail. The bill would also require require, on or before January 1, 2025, the State Department of Social Services to develop adopt specified regulations regarding the mail program, with input from stakeholders. The bill would require the department to implement and administer these provisions through all-county letters or similar instructions until regulations are adopted. By imposing new duties on counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature that these provisions are meant to provide minimum standards for county mail programs, and that counties are encouraged to expand upon these standards by holding all types of mail for homeless residents, providing various mail pickup points, and informing homeless residents when they have mail.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Mail delivery is an integral part of daily life.
(b) In addition to personal correspondence, people receive mail from all levels of government about vital social services programs.
(c) Beginning in January 2022, every person in California will also be mailed a ballot to vote in elections.
(d) To fully participate in the political process and access government services, every person needs a reliable mailing address.
(e) For instance, research indicates that not receiving mail is a key reason why people lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
(f) According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, California had an estimated 161,548 unhoused people on any given day as of January 2020.
(g) People without a permanent mailing address may struggle to find a dependable and convenient place to hold and access their mail.
(h) The government is required to send certain communications via mail and, as such, people must be able to receive these notices.
(i) In recognition of the problems associated with not having reliable mail access, this act establishes that each county will develop and implement a program to ensure people without permanent mailing addresses can access their government-related mail through the county.

SEC. 2.

 Section 10814 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

10814.
 (a) Each county human services agency local county entity that administers public benefits shall develop and implement a program to ensure that, at a minimum, homeless residents of the county without a permanent mailing address can receive and pick up all government-related mail addressed to them, at county office locations designated by the agency. local county entity.
(b) The program shall be optional for homeless residents of the county to participate in. The agency local county entity shall provide participants with information regarding the hours of operation during which they can pick up mail and program requirements.
(c) Participation in the program does not establish residency for the purposes of elections or school districts. residency.
(d) As used in this section, “government-related mail” means all mail sent by any of the following:
(1) A city.
(2) A county.
(3) The state.
(4) A tribal government.

(4)

(5) The federal government.

(5)

(6) Entities contracted to provide services on behalf of a city, county, state, tribal government, or federal government, including, but not limited to, mail from low-income housing authorities.
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that this section is meant to provide minimum standards for county mail programs. It is further the intent of the Legislature that counties are encouraged to expand upon these standards by holding all types of mail for homeless residents, providing various mail pickup points, and informing homeless residents when they have mail.

(e)The

(f) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Department of Social Services shall develop adopt regulations about the mail program. The department shall receive stakeholder input when developing the regulations. The regulations may include, but are not limited by, all of the following:
(1) How a program participant is to be notified about mail. notified, if at all, about having mail at a location, including, but not limited to, receiving text notifications.
(2) The responsibility responsibilities of the program participant to participate in the program.
(3) The availability of mail to program participants. Informing eligible individuals about the availability of the mail program.
(g) 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 shall implement and administer this section by means of all-county letters or similar instructions from the department that shall have the same force and effect as regulations until regulations are adopted.
(h) For purposes of this section, “homeless” has the same meaning as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

SEC. 3.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.