20250SB__109999INT INTRODUCED 2026-02-13 2025 SB INT Introduced by Senator Reyes LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Reyes

An act to amend Sections and of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services. public social services State and local public benefits. Existing law establishes various public social services programs to provide eligible recipients with certain aid or health care benefits, among others. Existing law also requires each county to provide aid to its indigent residents who are not supported by other means under programs known as general assistance programs.

Existing federal law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), makes specified persons without lawful status in the United States ineligible for state and local public benefits unless a state law is enacted that affirmatively provides for that eligibility, and defines “state or local public benefit” to mean, among other things, any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit by an agency of a state or local government or by appropriated funds of a state or local government.

Existing state law authorizes a city, county, city and county, or hospital district, at its discretion, to provide aid, including health care, to persons who, but for the previously described provision of the federal PRWORA, would meet the eligibility requirements for any program of that entity. This bill would clarify that the above-described authorization for provision of aid is an authorization to provide a state or local public benefit, as defined by the federal PRWORA. MAJORITY NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 17850. (

a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this part to affirm the ability of counties, cities, and hospital districts to provide a state or local public benefit , including health care and other services, to all residents, if any of these entities has decided to do so at its own discretion. (

b) For purposes of this part, “state or local public benefit” has the same meaning as that term as defined in

Section of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193; 8 U.S.C.

Sec. 1621) or any successor provision.

SEC. 2.

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 17851. A city, county, city and county, or hospital district may, at its discretion, provide a state or local public benefit, including health care and other services, to persons who, but for

Section of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193; 8 U.S.C.

Sec. 1621), would meet eligibility requirements for the state or local public benefit.