CalWORKs: CalFresh: eligibility: income and resource exclusions.

Assembly Member Bryan proposes modifying California's public assistance programs to exempt educational financial aid from eligibility calculations for CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits. The legislation would exclude grants, scholarships, loans, and fellowship benefits used for higher education from counting as income or resources when determining benefit eligibility and payment amounts, with the exception of direct cash payments from friends or relatives.

The bill directs the State Department of Social Services to align CalFresh income calculations with existing CalWORKs exclusions to the extent permitted under federal law. Educational funds would remain exempt as resources for CalWORKs purposes for 12 months after receipt. The Department must implement these changes through county-level instructions by March 1, 2026, while formal regulations are developed.

The measure expands eligibility for public assistance programs without allocating additional state funding. If the Commission on State Mandates determines the changes create new local costs, the state must reimburse counties according to established procedures. The provisions aim to standardize how educational assistance is treated across California's major public benefit programs while maintaining compliance with federal requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.