Social Services

Lowers the burden of proof in elder abuse cases when care facilities intentionally destroy evidence. Applies only to residential care facilities and skilled nursing homes, with specific exceptions. Requires courts to document in writing when lowering the evidence standard due to spoliation. Becomes inoperative if the state must reimburse facilities and funding is not appropriated.

Expands childcare reimbursement criteria to include absences for medical and educational appointments. Extends fee exemptions from 12 to 24 months for families receiving child protective services. Allows providers to claim reimbursement when holding spaces during care abandonment appeals. Prohibits charging family fees to families receiving CalWORKs cash aid.

Exempts close relatives from care plan requirements when serving as conservators for developmentally disabled adults. Maintains the presumption that a conservatee's personal residence is the least restrictive appropriate living option. Requires conservators to reevaluate placement if there are significant changes in the conservatee's needs.

Expands tribal agreements with California to include foster care prevention services for Indian children. Provides state funding for legal representation of tribes, parents, and children in tribal custody cases. Offers three-year startup funding for tribes establishing new child welfare programs. Requires tribes to meet state service standards while maintaining control over child welfare decisions.

Requires courts to evaluate human trafficking history before making child custody decisions. Mandates protective measures in custody orders when a child or parent is a trafficking victim. Creates a legal presumption against awarding custody to parents convicted of human trafficking.

Establishes the Fresh Start Grants Program to convert tax credits into immediate grants for CalFresh recipients. Requires county welfare departments to determine eligibility and distribute grants starting January 1, 2027. Creates a continuously appropriated Fresh Start Grants Fund in the State Treasury to finance the program. Reduces existing tax credits by the amount of Fresh Start Grants received to prevent duplicate benefits.

Requires regional centers to document all service denials and appeals in individual disability program plans. Mandates regional centers to report detailed data on service denials and disparities by race and language. Establishes a statewide data dashboard to track disability service access and equity by December 2024. Requires regional centers to communicate with consumers in their preferred language during planning.

Establishes new statewide quality measures to track outcomes for developmental disability services in California. Requires comprehensive review of existing performance measures across all regional centers by specified deadline. Mandates integration of quality metrics into a new statewide data system to improve service delivery. Creates standardized benchmarks to incentivize high-quality care from service providers.

Extends the deadline for Veterans Affairs to report on veteran service provider certification rules to April 2026. Maintains existing certification requirements for nonprofit organizations serving veterans and their families. Requires veteran service providers to submit detailed documentation including audit reports and tax records.

Expands funding sources for recidivism reduction grants to include new behavioral health programs. Requires grant proposals to serve offenders with mental health or substance use disorders. Mandates housing assistance and treatment services in all funded programs. Prioritizes proposals that combine public agency leadership with nonprofit partnerships.

Expands eligibility for state social services grants to include nonprofits with state tax-exempt status. Requires nonprofit organizations to have three years of experience providing immigrant services. Establishes a new program providing resettlement services for asylees and vulnerable noncitizens. Mandates reporting and monitoring requirements for all grant recipients.

Limits denial of family reunification services to parents with violent felony convictions within the past 5 years. Requires courts to prove specific risks to child safety before denying reunification services due to violent felonies. Mandates reunification services unless courts find it against the child's best interests. Expands county welfare departments' duties to provide reunification services without state reimbursement.

Makes technical changes to foster care sibling placement requirements.

Protects recipients of guaranteed income payments from losing eligibility for state benefit programs. Defines guaranteed income as regular, unconditional cash payments meant to support basic needs. Applies to major programs including CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and other state assistance programs. Requires counties to exclude guaranteed income when determining eligibility for benefits.

Expands CalWORKs eligibility by exempting in-kind gifts and certain noncustodial parent income from benefit calculations. Removes the 100-hour work limit requirement for unemployed parents seeking CalWORKs benefits. Requires counties to prioritize subsidized job placements with employers having strong labor agreements and safety records. Mandates a feasibility study on expanding CalWORKs with recommendations due to the Legislature.

Requires juvenile courts to prioritize moving youth from secure facilities to less restrictive programs when appropriate. Mandates detailed rehabilitation plans that outline specific steps for transitioning youth back to the community. Requires courts to hold hearings every 6 months to assess progress toward moving to less restrictive settings. Orders transfer to less restrictive programs if youth show substantial progress in meeting rehabilitation goals.

Requires counties to create disaster plans and form mutual aid regions to ensure food assistance during emergencies. Mandates state maintenance of updated disaster materials and applications in all required languages. Establishes procedures for counties to request emergency food benefits during federally declared disasters. Provides counties with free mobile technology to issue emergency benefit cards in disaster-affected areas.

Expands CalWORKs Stage 3 childcare eligibility by raising the income limit from 70% to 85% of state median income. Transitions childcare subsidy administration from welfare departments to institutions serving working families. Establishes a priority system for disenrolling families when program funding is limited.

Expands access to juvenile case files for parents' treatment teams and probate court officials. Requires child welfare agencies to provide records within two weeks of written requests. Mandates that accessed records must be filed under seal in family law and probate cases. Creates stricter rules for sharing juvenile records with penalties for unauthorized disclosure.

Expands child abuse reporting requirements to include sending reports to attorneys of parents and legal guardians. Requires agencies to redact personal identifying information of all individuals except the child in abuse reports. Mandates sharing abuse reports with all attorneys representing children in the same placement facility. Excludes parents whose rights were terminated from receiving abuse reports about their children.

Establishes new disaster preparedness requirements for childcare resource and referral agencies statewide. Requires childcare providers to report data on their operational status and capacity during disasters. Mandates agencies to train childcare providers on emergency procedures and maintain disaster supplies. Creates partnerships between childcare agencies and local emergency response teams.

Requires updating client files within 30 days when individuals with developmental disabilities change residences. Maintains existing data management requirements to ensure safety and well-being of developmentally disabled persons.

Eliminates CARF accreditation requirements for work activity and supported employment programs. Requires regional centers to evaluate programs using new state-developed service standards. Authorizes regional centers to impose sanctions on providers who violate safety or service standards. Maintains existing enforcement tools including corrective plans and program termination.

Establishes a 0.05% tax on income over $10 million to fund affordable childcare programs starting 2026. Creates grants for licensed childcare facilities to reduce rates and expand capacity starting 2027. Exempts employers who provide onsite childcare or fully reimburse employees' childcare costs. Establishes a dedicated state fund to support childcare facilities through continuous appropriation.

Establishes new housing requirements for foster youth transitional housing programs to promote flexibility and independence. Requires counties to follow state standards for transitional housing without adding stricter local requirements. Allows foster youth to share housing units regardless of gender identity to increase housing options. Mandates specific staff-to-participant ratios to ensure proper supervision and support.