Currrent as of February 4, 2022

Assembly Bill No. 2015

CHAPTER 182


An act to amend Section 10104 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.

[ Approved by Governor  August 25, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State  August 25, 2016. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2015, McCarty. Public social services: 2011 realignment report.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to annually report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature and to post on its Internet Web site a summary of outcome and expenditure data that allows for monitoring the changes of the 2011 realignment of child welfare services, foster care, adoptions, and adult protective services programs. Existing law also requires the department to contract with an appropriate and qualified entity to conduct an evaluation of the adequacy of the current child welfare services budgeting methodology and make recommendations for revising the budgeting methodology, including, among other things, appropriate caseload levels.

This bill would require the 2011 realignment report to include reported expenditures for counties that are participating and making claims under a specified federal waiver, how those counties are maximizing the utilization of funds, and how close counties are to funding the optimum caseload ratios as recommended in the above evaluation.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal Committee: yes   Local Program: no


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.

Section 10104 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

10104.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that the impacts of the 2011 realignment of child welfare services, foster care, adoptions, and adult protective services programs are identified and evaluated initially and over time. It is further the intent of the Legislature to ensure that information regarding these impacts is publicly available and accessible and can be utilized to support the state’s and counties’ effectiveness in delivering these critical services and supports.

(b) The State Department of Social Services shall annually report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature, and publicly post on the department’s Internet Web site, a summary of outcome and expenditure data that allows for monitoring of changes over time.

(c) (1) The report shall be submitted and posted by April 15 of each year and shall contain expenditures for each county for the programs described in clauses (i) to (vii), inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (16) of subdivision (f) of Section 30025 of the Government Code.

(2) The report shall also contain the amount of funds each county receives from the Protective Services Growth Special Account created pursuant to Section 30025 of the Government Code, child welfare services social worker caseloads per county, and the number of authorized positions in the local child welfare services agency.

(3) The report shall also include reported expenditures for counties that are participating and making claims under the federal Title IV-E waiver, how those counties are maximizing the utilization of funds, and how close counties are to funding the optimum caseload ratios recommended by the evaluation conducted pursuant to Section 10609.5, also known as the California SB 2030 Study.

(d) The department shall consult with legislative staff and stakeholders to develop a reporting format consistent with the Legislature’s desired level of outcome and expenditure reporting detail.


AB 2015