AB 79 Summary

• CalWORKs Time Limit Extension: Increases the cumulative assistance time limit from 48 months to 60 months for parents and caretaker relatives, effective May 1, 2022 or when automation is complete.

• Child Support Pass-Through Increase: Raises the child support amount parents keep from $50 to $100 for one-child families and $200 for families with two or more children, effective January 1, 2022.

• CalFresh Verification Streamlining: Requires counties to prioritize electronic verification and self-attestation over requesting documents, and simplifies dependent care expense verification procedures.

• Foster Care and Child Welfare Improvements: Changes resource family approval reviews from annual to biennial, allows non-social work personnel to conduct home assessments, authorizes Family Urgent Response System hotline to operate before all counties establish mobile response systems, and establishes child welfare nursing program in Los Angeles County.

• In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Updates: Extends paid sick leave to individual waiver personal care service providers, requires standardized training on service assessment and authorization, and allows temporary quality assurance reductions during staffing shortages.