AssemblyMember Celeste Rodriguez, with coauthor Senator Durazo, advances a measure that ties CalWORKs protections for abuse survivors to federal family violence protections and broadens the use of waivers for past or present victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence. The core changes would expand the circumstances under which counties may waive CalWORKs program requirements for applicants or recipients identified as abuse survivors, and would require the creation of uniform statewide information materials and a standardized waiver request form. The bill frames these changes as mechanisms to address safety and decision-making for survivors while outlining processes to tailor welfare-to-work plans to individual circumstances.
Key mechanisms include a requirement that the Department of Social Services align CalWORKs with the federal family violence option to the fullest extent permitted, and by early in the next several years develop protocols for handling abuse cases. These protocols would cover identifying abuse victims (including self-identification with confidentiality protections), referring them to supportive services, and waiving program requirements on a case-by-case basis for as long as necessary. The measure also mandates written notice of waiver determinations and timely notices when waivers are discontinued, and it directs counties to reevaluate waivers at least every six months. A statewide standard for determining good cause, developed in collaboration with counties, advocates, and survivor representatives, would guide eligibility, with protections against denying waivers based on participation in certain services or voluntary engagement in welfare-to-work activities.
The bill adds a uniform information framework and waiver form to be used statewide, requiring materials that explain available resources, confidentiality, waivers and how to request them, safety planning, and how welfare-to-work plans can be tailored for survivors, including information for noncitizen abuse survivors. Materials and the waiver form would be provided in the applicant’s or recipient’s language, with supplementary local resources, and interim implementation would rely on all-county letters until regulations are adopted. Several provisions become operative only upon automation readiness for the Statewide Automated Welfare System, or on January 1, 2028, whichever date is later, creating a phased path to full implementation alongside the automation timeline.
Beyond direct program changes, the measure requires annual reporting to the Legislature detailing the number of CalWORKs recipients identified as abuse victims and survivors by county, and actions taken to address survivors’ needs, while clarifying that any state-mandated local costs would be reimbursed under existing procedures if the Commission on State Mandates finds a mandate exists. The Department of Social Services would oversee protocol development, statewide standards, and the creation of statewide materials, with counties responsible for delivery and administration, including language access, confidentiality, and notice requirements. The proposal thus situates CalWORKs within a federal-aligned framework, adds structured supports for abuse survivors, and embeds a staged implementation tied to automation progress and ongoing reporting.
![]() Maria DurazoD Senator | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
![]() Celeste RodriguezD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |
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AssemblyMember Celeste Rodriguez, with coauthor Senator Durazo, advances a measure that ties CalWORKs protections for abuse survivors to federal family violence protections and broadens the use of waivers for past or present victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence. The core changes would expand the circumstances under which counties may waive CalWORKs program requirements for applicants or recipients identified as abuse survivors, and would require the creation of uniform statewide information materials and a standardized waiver request form. The bill frames these changes as mechanisms to address safety and decision-making for survivors while outlining processes to tailor welfare-to-work plans to individual circumstances.
Key mechanisms include a requirement that the Department of Social Services align CalWORKs with the federal family violence option to the fullest extent permitted, and by early in the next several years develop protocols for handling abuse cases. These protocols would cover identifying abuse victims (including self-identification with confidentiality protections), referring them to supportive services, and waiving program requirements on a case-by-case basis for as long as necessary. The measure also mandates written notice of waiver determinations and timely notices when waivers are discontinued, and it directs counties to reevaluate waivers at least every six months. A statewide standard for determining good cause, developed in collaboration with counties, advocates, and survivor representatives, would guide eligibility, with protections against denying waivers based on participation in certain services or voluntary engagement in welfare-to-work activities.
The bill adds a uniform information framework and waiver form to be used statewide, requiring materials that explain available resources, confidentiality, waivers and how to request them, safety planning, and how welfare-to-work plans can be tailored for survivors, including information for noncitizen abuse survivors. Materials and the waiver form would be provided in the applicant’s or recipient’s language, with supplementary local resources, and interim implementation would rely on all-county letters until regulations are adopted. Several provisions become operative only upon automation readiness for the Statewide Automated Welfare System, or on January 1, 2028, whichever date is later, creating a phased path to full implementation alongside the automation timeline.
Beyond direct program changes, the measure requires annual reporting to the Legislature detailing the number of CalWORKs recipients identified as abuse victims and survivors by county, and actions taken to address survivors’ needs, while clarifying that any state-mandated local costs would be reimbursed under existing procedures if the Commission on State Mandates finds a mandate exists. The Department of Social Services would oversee protocol development, statewide standards, and the creation of statewide materials, with counties responsible for delivery and administration, including language access, confidentiality, and notice requirements. The proposal thus situates CalWORKs within a federal-aligned framework, adds structured supports for abuse survivors, and embeds a staged implementation tied to automation progress and ongoing reporting.
Ayes | Noes | NVR | Total | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
80 | 0 | 0 | 80 | PASS |
![]() Maria DurazoD Senator | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
![]() Celeste RodriguezD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |