Public social services: eligibility: income exclusions.

Assembly Member Bennett's legislation exempts compensation received by student board members of California school districts and county education boards from calculations determining eligibility for public assistance programs and higher education scholarships. The measure modifies the Education Code's existing provisions that allow these boards to compensate student representatives with course credit or monthly payments.

The bill establishes that any compensation awarded to student board members cannot be counted as income or assets when determining eligibility for means-tested programs like CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants. This exemption extends to scholarships and grants offered by California's public colleges and universities, including Cal Grants, the Middle Class Scholarship Program, and institutional aid programs at the University of California and California State University systems.

Local agencies administering affected programs must implement these new income exclusion rules, with the state required to reimburse counties for any additional costs incurred. The Commission on State Mandates will evaluate and determine the extent of mandated expenses eligible for reimbursement under existing statutory procedures.