AB 1074: CalWORKs.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Under existing law, if the federal government provides funds for the care of a needy relative with whom a needy child is living, aid to the child for any month includes aid to meet the needs of that relative, except as prescribed. Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families using federal, state, and county funds. Existing law provides that the parent or parents are to be considered living with the needy child for a period of up to 6 months, or for a time period as determined by the State Department of Social Services, of the needy child’s absence from the family assistance unit, and that the parents are eligible for CalWORKs aid and childcare services if specified conditions are met, including, among others, that the child has been removed from the parent or parents and that the family was receiving aid under when the child was removed. Existing law requires all applicants for or recipients of CalWORKs to ensure and provide documentation that each child in the assistance unit who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations, as specified.

This bill would make technical changes to the provisions regarding a parent’s eligibility to receive aid as if the child or children were living with them. The bill would also specify that those provisions do not require (A) all children to be removed from the parent or parents or (B) that, at the time of removal, the needs of the parent or parents were included in the grant. The bill would make these provisions that authorize the provision of aid and child care services, as specified, operative on July 1, 2026, or when the Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation, whichever is later, and would prohibit the implementation of these provisions from resulting in a retroactive payment or underpayment. The bill would exempt a family participating in a reunification case plan from specified immunization requirements. To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law generally requires a recipient of CalWORKs to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility. Existing law requires the recipient and the county welfare department to enter into a written welfare-to-work plan that includes the activities and services that will move the individual into employment. Existing departmental guidance strongly encourages, for individuals receiving benefits as described in paragraph (1), counties to use a CalWORKs family reunification plan, which is the case plan developed by the county child welfare services agency for the provision of services to those individuals, in lieu of the welfare-to-work plan.

This bill would instead authorize, for those individuals, either (A) a case plan, as specified, to serve as a CalWORKs family reunification plan or (B) a jointly developed child welfare services and CalWORKs welfare-to-work plan to serve as the CalWORKs family reunification plan, both of which would satisfy the requirement to have a welfare-to-work plan. To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3)Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program.

This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for the purposes of implementing the bill.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. January 22, 2026Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2. October 6, 2025Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
3. October 6, 2025Vetoed by Governor.
4. September 22, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
5. September 10, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 13. Page 3230.).
6. September 9, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
7. September 9, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 4. Page 2675.).
8. September 8, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. September 5, 2025Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
10. September 2, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
11. August 29, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
12. August 29, 2025From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 29).