Every person administering aid under any public assistance program shall conduct himself with courtesy, consideration, and respect toward applicants for and recipients of aid under that program, and shall endeavor at all times to perform his duties in such manner as to secure for every person the amount of aid to which he is entitled, without attempting to elicit any information not necessary to carry out the provisions of law applicable to the program, and without comment or criticism of any fact concerning applicants or recipients not directly related to the administration of the program.
AdministrationGeneral Provisions
Section § 10500
This law requires anyone managing public assistance programs to treat applicants and recipients with respect and kindness. They must work to ensure that everyone gets the aid they're eligible for, and should only ask for information that's necessary for the program. They should avoid unnecessary comments or criticism about applicants or recipients unrelated to the program's administration.
public assistance programs courtesy respect toward applicants
Section § 10501
This law prohibits anyone involved in managing public assistance programs from telling recipients how they must spend their aid money. It ensures that recipients have the freedom to decide how to use the assistance they receive.
No person concerned with the administration of a public assistance program shall dictate how any recipient shall expend the aid granted to him.
public assistance aid expenditure choice recipient freedom
Section § 10503
If you're applying for certain public assistance programs in California, any decisions about your eligibility have to be made by a county employee who is part of the merit or civil service system. This applies to Medi-Cal, In-Home Supportive Services, CalWORKs, CalFresh, the California Food Assistance Program, the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, and Adult Protective Services. Basically, someone from the county, following specific employment rules, needs to handle these decisions.
Any decisions governing eligibility for any of the following programs that, in California, are made by a county pursuant to this division shall be made exclusively by a merit or civil service employee of the county:
(a)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(a) The Medi-Cal program, as described in Chapter 7 (commencing with
Section 14000) of Part 3.
(b)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(b) The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, as described in Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3.
(c)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(c) The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, as described in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3.
(d)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(d) The CalFresh program, as described in Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6.
(e)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(e) The California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), as described in Chapter 10.1 (commencing with Section 18930) of Part 6.
(f)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(f) The Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
pursuant to Chapter 10.3 (commencing with Section 18937) of Part 6.
(g)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10503(g) The Adult Protective Services (APS) program, as described in Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 15750) of Part 3.
eligibility decisions merit employee civil service employee
Section § 10505
Before California can change benefits or services for federally funded social programs, like Medi-Cal, the State Department of Finance needs to confirm funds are available and identify where the money will come from. This applies if the program changes cost over $500,000 from the General Fund each year. They must also determine whether the changes are for optional or mandatory benefits.
Additionally, any proposed spending must be reviewed for at least 30 days by certain legislative committees before it can be approved.
Prior to granting any changes in benefits or levels of service for public social services programs, including the Medi-Cal program, funded by the federal government for benefits or services which are permitted, but not required to be given, under federal law, and which changes program or county administrative costs funded from the General Fund in excess of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) on an annual basis, there shall first be obtained a certification by the State Department of Finance that funds are available for the expenditure and that the department has identified the specific funding sources, and has determined whether the expenditure involves
a federal mandatory or optional benefit or level of service.
The Department of Finance may not approve any expenditure covered by this section until at least 30 days after the information required by this section has been provided to the chairman of the committee of each house which considers appropriations and the Chairman of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
Medi-Cal program public social services federal funding
Section § 10506
This section outlines the procedures for various California state departments to submit budget estimates to the Department of Finance (DoF). It requires these departments to submit assumptions behind budget estimates by September 10, and any revisions by March 1. The DoF has 15 days to approve, modify, or deny these assumptions, or they will be accepted as is. By November 1, departments must provide detailed expenditure estimates, including changes and fiscal impacts of policies. Further updated estimates are to be submitted by April 20. If methodology changes occur between November and May, a detailed narrative must be provided, along with fiscal tracking charts.
Departments must identify discontinued premises or those placed in the cost line. All estimate information must be made available to legislative budget committees. Errors discovered after January 10 must be promptly reported by the DoF. Certain departments have exceptions or different timelines, including the Department of Rehabilitation, which submits estimates once a year.
(a)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(a) Except as otherwise required by Sections 10614 and 14100.5, the State Department of Health Care Services (Genetically Handicapped Persons, CCS, CHDP, and the caseload programs in the Genetic Disease Branch), Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, State Department of Developmental Services, State Department of State Hospitals, and Department of Child Support Services shall submit to the Department of
Finance for its approval all assumptions underlying all estimates used to develop the departments’ budgets by September 10 of each year, and those assumptions, as revised by, March 1 of the following year.
(b)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(b) The Department of Finance shall approve, modify, or deny the assumptions underlying all estimates within 15 working days of their submission. If the Department of Finance does not modify, deny, or otherwise indicate that the assumptions are open for consideration pending further information submitted by the department by that date, the assumptions as presented by the submitting department shall be deemed to be accepted by the Department of Finance as of that date.
(c)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(c) Each department or board described in subdivision (a) shall also submit an estimate of expenditures for each of the categorical aid programs in its budget to the Department of Finance by November 1 of each year
and those estimates as revised by April 20 of the following year. Each estimate shall contain a concise statement identifying applicable estimate components, such as caseload, unit cost, implementation date, whether it is a new or continuing premise, and other assumptions necessary to support the estimate. The submittal shall include a projection of the fiscal impact of each of the approved assumptions related to a regulatory, statutory, or policy change, a detailed explanation of any changes to the base estimate projections from the previous estimate, and a projection of the fiscal impact of that change to the base estimate.
(d)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(d) Each department or board shall identify those premises to which either of the following applies:
(1)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(d)(1) Have been discontinued since the previous estimate was submitted. The department or board shall provide a chart that tracks the history of each
discontinued premise in the prior year, the current year, and the budget year.
(2)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(d)(2) Have been placed in the basic cost line of the estimate package.
(e)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(e) In the event that the methodological steps employed in arriving at the estimates in May differ from those used in November of the preceding year, the department or board shall submit a descriptive narrative of the revised methodology. In addition, the estimates shall include fiscal charts that track appropriations from the Budget Act to the current Governor’s Budget and May Revision for all fund sources for the prior year, current year and budget year. This information shall be provided to the Department of Finance, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Health and Human Services Policy Committees, and the fiscal committees, along with other materials included in the annual May Revision of expenditure estimates.
(f)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(f) The estimates of average monthly caseloads, average monthly grants, total estimated expenditures, including administrative expenditures and savings or costs associated with all regulatory or statutory changes, as well as all supporting data provided by the department or developed independently by the Department of Finance, shall be made available to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Health and Human Services Policy Committees, and the fiscal committees.
(g)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(g) On or after January 10, if the Department of Finance discovers a material error in the information provided pursuant to this section, the Department of Finance shall inform the consultants to the fiscal committees of the error in a timely manner.
(h)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(h) The departmental estimates, assumptions, and other supporting data prepared for purposes of this section
shall be forwarded annually to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Health and Human Services Policy Committees, and the fiscal committees of the Legislature, not later than January 10 and May 14 by the department or board if this information has not been released earlier by the Department of Finance.
(i)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(i) The requirements of this section do not apply to the State Department of Social Services estimate or the State Department of Health Care Services’ Medi-Cal Program estimate, which are governed by Sections 10614 and 14100.5, respectively.
(j)CA Welfare & Institutions Code § 10506(j) The Department of Rehabilitation shall submit assumptions and an estimate of case services expenditures for the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program specifically detailing the VR supported employment and work activity elements in accordance with this part, except that assumptions shall be submitted only annually, on or before March
1, and an estimate of expenditures shall be submitted only annually, on or before April 20, to the Department of Finance. The departmental assumptions and the departmental estimate of expenditures shall be forwarded annually, on or before May 14, to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and to the health and human services policy committees and fiscal committees of the Legislature, if this information has not been released earlier by the Department of Finance.
budget estimates Department of Finance assumptions
