Section 8154 - [Effective until 1/1/2025] Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund payments(a) The State Department of Social Services shall use the funds allotted to the state from the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2), and appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose in the Budget Act of 2021, to make a flat rate one-time payment to each CalWORKs assistance unit, as defined in Section 11450.16, that is an active assistance unit on the date of eligibility, as determined by the Statewide Automated Welfare System. The amount of the one-time payment shall be based on the funds available and the most recent caseload data, as determined by the department. The department, based on data from the Statewide Automated Welfare System, shall establish the date of eligibility.(b) The department shall develop guidance on tracking and reporting procedures, and the form and manner of the payments to be made pursuant to subdivision (a).(c) The payments described in subdivision (a) shall be treated as nonrecurrent short-term benefits, as defined in Section 260.31(b)(1) of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations and in the Instructions for Completion of State TANF Financial Report Form ACF-196R, published on July 31, 2014.(d) The department shall submit a written report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, no later than November 1, 2021, that shall include, but not be limited to, information on the following:(1) The number of one-time payments made.(2) The dollar amount of the one-time payment.(3) Aggregate data on the form and manner of payments made and how many payments were made in each form.(4) Details on the timeframe within which payments were issued and if any administrative issues arose in that implementation.(e) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the State Department of Social Services may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters or similar written instructions, which shall be exempt from submission to or review by the Office of Administrative Law. These all-county letters or similar instructions shall have the same force and effect as regulations.(f) This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.Ca. Welf. and Inst. Code § 8154
Added by Stats 2021 ch 85 (AB 135),s 18, eff. 7/16/2021.