Homeless pupils: California Success, Opportunity, and Academic Resilience (SOAR) Guaranteed Income Program.

Senator Cortese's proposal to establish a guaranteed income program for homeless high school seniors would provide eligible students with $1,000 monthly payments from May through August 2026. The California Success, Opportunity, and Academic Resilience (SOAR) program would operate through counties that opt to participate, with local educational agency liaisons identifying and enrolling qualified 12th grade students who meet federal definitions of homeless youth.

The program excludes the monthly payments from calculations of gross income for state tax purposes and from consideration when determining eligibility for means-tested public assistance programs, subject to necessary federal waivers. Counties receiving SOAR funds would get an additional 10% for administrative costs related to enrollment and outreach. Any unused funds could support program extensions through 2028.

The State Department of Social Services would oversee SOAR implementation and evaluate outcomes through an independent research partnership. The department must analyze and report to the Legislature by March 2027 on participants' college enrollment, degree progress, housing stability, income levels, and other economic indicators compared to non-participating homeless youth and previous years' data. The program includes sunset provisions repealing its tax and welfare code changes on January 1, 2029.

Students may enroll without parental consent regardless of age, with liaisons required to distribute information and forms confidentially to eligible participants and parents/guardians of those under 18. The department can accept in-kind contributions like financial mentorship services and implement the program without standard regulatory processes to facilitate efficient administration.