SB 1341 Summary

• Establishes the California SOAR Guaranteed Income Program administered by the State Department of Social Services to provide $1,000 monthly payments to eligible homeless grade 12 pupils from April 1 to August 1, 2023.

• Eligible participants must be public school pupils in grade 12 who have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or California Dream Act application and meet the federal definition of homeless children or youth.

• Excludes SOAR awards from gross income for personal income tax purposes for taxable year 2023 and specifies awards are not earned income for California Earned Income Tax Credit or young child tax credit eligibility.

• Prohibits SOAR awards from being counted as income or resources when determining eligibility for state and local means-tested programs including CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal, subject to obtaining necessary federal waivers.

• Creates the California SOAR Guaranteed Income Fund to receive appropriated and donated moneys, requires evaluation of program outcomes, and sunsets all provisions on July 1, 2026.