AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 13, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 14, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas

(Coauthors: Senators Richardson, Wahab, and Weber Pierson)

February 10, 2026

An act to amend and repeal Section 11351.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: yes

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing federal law provides for the allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law requires an unrelated adult male who resides with a family who is applying for or receiving aid from the CalWORKs program to make a financial contribution to the family, as specified.

This bill would would, beginning July 1, 2027, or a later date, as specified, repeal the above-described provisions requiring an unrelated adult male who resides with a family applying for or receiving aid from the CalWORKs program to make a financial contribution to the family. The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific, this change by means of all-county letters, or similar written instructions, until regulations are adopted. By expanding eligibility for the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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 purposes of implementing the bill.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 11351.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

11351.5.

Whenever (a) (1) If an unrelated adult male resides with a family applying for or receiving aid under this chapter, he shall be required to make a financial contribution to the family which shall not be that is not less than it would cost him to provide himself with an independent living arrangement.

(2) The minimum financial contribution to the family shall be determined in accordance with standards established by the department which takes that take into account such the adult male person’s income and expenses. The regulations formulated by the department shall require the mother of the children and the unrelated male to present all of the facts in connection with the sharing of expenses which that comprise the agreement whereby said by which the adult male resides with the family. The conditions of the agreement and the facts related to the sharing of the family expenses shall be signed under penalty of perjury by both the mother of the child and the unrelated male. In the event that either the mother or the adult male person willfully and knowingly fails to cooperate during the period such the joint sharing of expenses arrangement exists in setting forth all of the facts in accordance with provisions of this section, aid to the family may be discontinued.

(3) This section does not apply to a bona fide paying lodger, roomer roomer, or boarder living in the home of a family applying for or receiving aid under this chapter.

SEC. 2.

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 department may implement, interpret, or make specific the repeal of Section 11351.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as accomplished by the act that added this section, by means of all-county letters or similar written instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. These all-county letters or similar instructions shall have the same force and effect as regulations until the adoption of regulations.

SEC. 2.SEC. 3.

No appropriation under Section 15200 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall be made for purposes of implementing this act.

SEC. 3.SEC. 4.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.