GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME,
EVERYONE. THIS IS THE ASSEMBLY
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE TWO ON HUMAN
SERVICES ISSUES. TODAY WE WILL
BE DISCUSSING ISSUES AND
PROGRAMS RELATED TO THE
CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES, AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
AND DEVELOPMENT. BUT BEFORE WE
INVITE OUR FIRST PANEL TO BEGIN,
I'LL JUST MAKE A FEW
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS, WE'LL
REVIEW CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY VISION AND
VALUES, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE
THAT OUR BUDGETARY DECISIONS
ALIGN WITH THOSE VALUES OF
EQUITY, PERSON CENTEREDNESS, AND
DATA RELIANCE. OUR PROGRAMS ARE
SO RELIANT ON AUTOMATION AND
AUTOMATION WORKING WELL TO SERVE
THOSE MOST IN NEED. TODAY WE'LL
REVIEW SOME OF THE SYSTEMS THAT
FACILITATE ACCESS TO PUBLIC
BENEFITS IN CALIFORNIA FOR
PEOPLE RELY ON THESE SYSTEMS FOR
SURVIVAL. AND WE MUST BE
SENSITIVE TO WHAT ADVOCATES AND
CONSUMERS TELL US ABOUT THE
QUALITY OF THOSE SERVICES THAT
THEY NEED. WE'LL ALSO HEAR ABOUT
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS AND OBSERVATIONS FROM
THE FIELD. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT
ONE MORE, THAT MY LENS FOR THIS
YEAR IS THOSE THINGS THAT WILL
PROTECT THAT WHICH SUSTAINS OUR
MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND
KEEPS THEM OUT OF A STATE OF
CRISIS, THAT IS THE TEST. EVERY
PROGRAM AND PROPOSAL, THAT WE GO
THROUGH, MUST BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE
, WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP AND
INVITE, FOR THOSE TO OF THE
FIRST PANEL TO MAKE THEIR WAY UP
HERE. AND WHILE THEY ARE ON
THEIR WAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYONE ALSO KNOWS THAT,
AS ALWAYS, WE WILL HAVE OUR TIME
FOR, PUBLIC COMMENT, AT THE END
OF ALL OF OUR ISSUES FOR TODAY.
AND WHEN WE DO HAVE PUBLIC
COMMENT, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT
EACH PERSON PROVIDING PUBLIC
COMMENT WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES
EACH, TO MAKE THEIR REMARKS. SO
LET'S JUST JUMP ON INTO IT. AND,
WE WILL START OFF WITH THE
OVERVIEW OF THE CALIFORNIA
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY
PROGRAMS. AND I BELIEVE MR.
MCCARTHY. YES. YOU. YES. ALL
RIGHT. YOU MAY BEGIN, SIR. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'M BRENDAN
MCCARTHY, DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR
PROGRAM AND FISCAL AFFAIRS AT
CAL HHS, YOUR AGENDA DOES AN
EXCELLENT JOB LAYING OUT THE
STRUCTURE OF THE AGENCY AND THE
EXPENDITURES. SO I WON'T
REITERATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE
ALREADY SEEN IN THE AGENDA. I'LL
GO STRAIGHT TO THE QUESTIONS, IF
THAT WORKS FOR YOU, MR. CHAIR.
AT CAL HHS, OUR OUR MISSION IS
TO WORK WITH OUR CONSTITUENT
DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS EXTERNAL
STAKEHOLDERS THE LEGISLATURE,
COUNTIES, PROVIDERS, TO PROVIDE
SERVICES FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE
CALIFORNIANS, THROUGHOUT THIS
WORK, OUR GOAL IS TO BE PERSON
CENTERED, EQUITY FOCUSED, AND
DATA DRIVEN. AND AS YOUR AGENDA
NOTES, WE HAVE ADOPTED SOME
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT CAL HHS.
THESE ARE THAT WE FOCUS ON
EQUITY, THAT WE ACTIVELY LISTEN.
WE USE DATA TO DRIVE OUR
ACTIONS. WE SEE THE WHOLE
PERSON. WE PUT THE PERSON BACK
IN PERSON, CENTERED. WE
CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF
INNOVATION AND WE DELIVER ON
OUTCOMES. AND SO AS WE AND OUR
CONSTITUENT DEPARTMENTS
IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS, DESIGN NEW
PROGRAMS, WE ALWAYS TRY AND KEEP
THESE PRINCIPLES IN MIND TO
IMPROVE THE WAY THAT WE DELIVER
SERVICES TO THE MOST VULNERABLE
CALIFORNIANS, YOUR AGENDA ASKED
A VERY GOOD QUESTION ABOUT HOW
THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES
RECONCILE WITH SOME OF THE
BUDGET BALANCING SOLUTIONS THAT
ARE INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET, AND, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE
STATE'S FISCAL SITUATION, WE AS
AN ADMINISTRATION WERE FORCED TO
MAKE SOME DIFFICULT CHOICES IN
DEVELOPING THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET. WHAT WE ATTEMPTED TO DO
AT CAL HHS AND WITH OUR
PARTNERS, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE AND THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE, IS TO USE OUR GUIDING
PRINCIPLES AND PROTECT, PROTECT
THE INVESTMENTS THAT IMPROVE
EQUITY, PROTECT CORE PROGRAMS
AND ELIGIBILITY TO THE EXTENT WE
COULD, AND TO PROTECT
INVESTMENTS THAT ARE CLOSE ON
DELIVERING A RESULT TO IMPROVE
THE LIVES OF CALIFORNIANS,
PARTICULARLY THE MOST VULNERABLE
CALIFORNIANS, THERE ARE, BUT AS
YOU NOTE, A LOT OF BUDGET
BALANCING SOLUTIONS THAT ARE
GOING TO HAVE REAL IMPACT ON
CALIFORNIANS, AND WE ARE AWARE
OF THAT. AND, WHAT WE
PARTICULARLY IN THE CAL WORKS
PROGRAM IS NOTED, BUT AND I
SHOULD SAY, WE DON'T TAKE THOSE
CUTS LIGHTLY. LIGHTLY WHAT WE
DID TRY AND DO IS, DO AS MUCH AS
WE COULD TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT
ON MOST VULNERABLE CALIFORNIANS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID ADOPT OR
PROPOSE SOLUTIONS IN THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET THAT WOULD
DELAY INVESTMENTS IN OTHER AREAS
LIKE WORKFORCE AND OTHER THINGS,
OR SOME OF OUR CAPITAL PROGRAMS
TO EXPAND, LIKE BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH FACILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE,
WE ALSO DID EVERYTHING WE COULD
TO MAXIMIZE THE REVENUES OF THE
MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION TAX.
THOSE ARE ALL STRATEGIES,
STRATEGIES WE USED TO TRY AND
MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THE
BUDGET, BALANCING SOLUTIONS ON
THE MOST VULNERABLE
CALIFORNIANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE
SERVED BY CALWORKS AND OUR OTHER
SAFETY NET PROGRAMS, WHILE WE
ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE CUTS IN
THAT, THOSE PROGRAMS THAT ARE
GOING TO HAVE BIG IMPACTS ON
FOLKS LIVES, WE WERE ABLE TO
LIMIT THE CUTS TO ONLY 4% OF THE
TOTAL BUDGET. BALANCING
SOLUTIONS INCLUDED IN THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, YOUR AGENDA
ASKS THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING TO
ANALYZE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF
THESE CUTS OF SOLUTIONS ON OUR
THE POPULATIONS WE SERVE. SO
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE DOING
RIGHT NOW. WE'RE TALKING WITH
OUR DEPARTMENTS. WE'RE TALKING
WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS,
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY HAPPY TO ENGAGE
WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON REALLY
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS. AND
ALSO WE ARE, AS AN
ADMINISTRATION, OPEN TO FINDING
ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO BALANCE THE
BUDGET AND MEET OUR COLLECTIVE
CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION WHILE
MINIMIZING THE HARM OF SOLUTIONS
THAT WE WILL NEED TO ADOPT. IF
THERE'S NO QUESTIONS ON THAT, I
CAN MOVE ON TO THE LANGUAGE
ACCESS POLICY IF THAT WORKS, MR.
CHAIR. OKAY, SO YOU ASKED FOR AN
UPDATE ON OUR OUR AGENCY
LANGUAGE ACCESS POLICY AND THE
$20 MILLION THAT WAS
APPROPRIATED BY THE LEGISLATURE
TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY. SO THE
FIRST STEP WAS POLICY
DEVELOPMENT AT THE AGENCY LEVEL.
IN MAY OF 2023, CAL HHS ADOPTED
OUR AGENCY LANGUAGE ACCESS
POLICY, WHICH SETS MINIMUM
STANDARDS FOR TRANSLATION AND
INTERPRETATION ACROSS OUR
PROGRAMS AND THE SERVICES THEY
PROVIDE. AND THEN EACH
DEPARTMENT WITHIN OUR AGENCY
WOULD THEN CREATE THEIR OWN
DEPARTMENT LEVEL, LANGUAGE
ACCESS PLAN THAT TAKES INTO
ACCOUNT STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS,
THE CAL HHS LANGUAGE POLICY, AS
WELL AS ANY PARTICULAR, LANGUAGE
ACCESS POLICIES THAT MAY COME
WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, FOR
EXAMPLE, IN CALWORKS OR MEDI-CAL
OR OTHER, FEDERAL FUNDED
PROGRAMS, OUR AGENCY POLICY WAS
DEVELOPED BY A LANGUAGE ACCESS
WORK GROUP, WHICH WAS COMPRISED
OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM CAL, HHS
IN OUR DEPARTMENTS. IN
DEVELOPING THAT PLAN, THE WORK
GROUP CONDUCTED COMMUNITY AND
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, ASSESSED
THE AVAILABLE LANGUAGE ACCESS
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE
, AT THE MOMENT, AND THEN
CONSIDER ISSUES ABOUT QUALITY
CONTROL AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
BILINGUAL STAFFING WITHIN OUR
DEPARTMENTS SO THAT THE AGENCY
LEVEL PLAN HAS BEEN DEVELOPED
AND ADOPTED. NOW WE'RE IN THE
POINT WHERE OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE
DEVELOPING THEIR LANGUAGE ACCESS
PLANS. SO THEY ARE DOING THAT
NOW, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE
PARTICULARS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL
PROGRAMS, THEY HAVE BEEN DOING
THAT WITH ASSISTANCE FROM CAL
HHS. WE'VE PROVIDED AGENCY WIDE
TRAINING, A LOT OF TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE SESSIONS, AND ALSO
FACILITATED TEN LANGUAGE ACCESS
WORKGROUP MEETINGS. THEY THEIR
DEPARTMENT LEVEL PROGRAMS WILL
BE DEVELOPED AND POSTED THIS
SUMMER, AND THEN THEY WILL TURN
TOWARDS THE TRANSLATION OF
ADDITIONAL VITAL DOCUMENTS AND
FURTHER STAFF TRAINING TO
IMPLEMENT THESE, PLANS AT THE
DEPARTMENT LEVEL OF THE FUNDING
THAT WAS APPROPRIATED BY THE
LEGISLATURE, IT IS SPLIT BETWEEN
STATE STAFF AND SOME OUTSIDE
CONTRACTS. SO AT THE STATE LEVEL
, WE HAVE HIRED LANGUAGE ACCESS
COORDINATORS AT DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC HEALTH AND DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH CARE SERVICES, IN
ADDITION TO THE TEAM WORKING
UNDER OUR CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER
AT AGENCY AND THOSE STAFF ARE
AVAILABLE TO ASSIST SOME OF OUR
SMALLER DEPARTMENTS. SO THEY'RE
NOT ON THEIR OWN. IT'S JUST THAT
WE SOME OF THE SMALLER
DEPARTMENTS MAY NOT NEED A
POSITION DEDICATED TO THIS, BUT
WE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER
DEPARTMENTS OR AGENCY TO MEET
THEIR NEEDS, THESE ARE
SPECIALIZED STAFF THAT PROVIDE
TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION
DIRECTLY, AS WELL AS MANAGE
CONTRACTS FOR ADDITIONAL
TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION.
THEY ALSO SUPPORT GENERALLY THE
DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO MAKE
SURE THAT VITAL DOCUMENTS, ETC.
ARE TRANSLATED, WE ARE BUDGETING
ABOUT $2 MILLION IN COSTS IN THE
CURRENT YEAR, JUST UNDER $4
MILLION IN PERSONNEL COSTS IN
THE BUDGET YEAR, AND THEN
PROJECTING $2.3 MILLION IN
BUDGET YEAR PLUS ONE, IN TERMS
OF VENDOR CONTRACTS, WE'VE USED
THESE FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES,
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR VITAL DOCUMENTS
, VOIGTS, SIGN LANGUAGE
INTERPRETATION, SPOKEN LANGUAGE
INTERPRETATION, WHERE WE DON'T
HAVE THOSE SKILLS IN-HOUSE AS
WELL AS AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, WE HAVE DONE
SOME CONTRACTS, BUT MANY ARE
STILL OUT TO BID, SO WE'VE SPENT
RELATIVELY LITTLE IN THE CURRENT
YEAR, JUST ABOUT $50,000, BUT IN
THE BUDGET YEAR, WE PROJECT TO
SPEND ABOUT $6 MILLION ON THESE
EFFORTS. AND THEN $5.5 MILLION
IN BUDGET YEAR, PLUS ONE. THAT'S
IT. ON THE LANGUAGE ACCESS. I'D
BE HAPPY TO GO ON TO THE
INNOVATION ACCELERATOR. IF YOU
HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER THOSE, WHICHEVER YOU
PREFER. STILL ON THE SAME ISSUE.
OH, THAT'S THE NEXT ISSUE. SO
WE'LL JUST STOP THERE,
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. THANK
YOU. CHAIR JOSEPH DONALDSON,
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. NO
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, BUT
AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU
MAY HAVE. LEO RYAN MILLER,
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST OFFICE
NOTHING TO ADD, BUT AVAILABLE
FOR QUESTIONS ON THE, MR.
MCCARTHY ON THE, LANGUAGE ACCESS
POLICY AND PLAN, YOU'VE OUTLINED
, NUMBER ONE, WHAT WAS THE DATE
AND THE TIMELINE IN TERMS OF
COMPLETION, SO THE AGENCY LEVEL
PLAN HAS BEEN COMPLETED. IT WAS
COMPLETED LAST SPRING, AND THEN
THE STATE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT
PLANS WILL BE DONE THIS SUMMER.
OKAY AND FROM THE FROM THE,
FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED FOR
THAT, IS THERE A BALANCE, WE
PROJECT TO SPEND THE ENTIRE 20
MILLION OVER THE CURRENT YEAR
BUDGET YEAR AND BUDGET YEAR PLUS
ONE. SO WE THINK THAT THAT MONEY
WILL BE ADEQUATE FOR OUR NEEDS
FOR THOSE THREE FISCAL YEARS. SO
BASICALLY YOU'RE SPREADING THAT
OUT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
WELL, THE CURRENT YEAR AND THEN
THE BUDGET YEAR IN THE
FOLLOWING. SO THIS YEAR AND THE
NEXT TWO YEARS. GOT IT. AND
WHAT'S THAT AMOUNT, SO IN THE
BUDGET YEAR, WE ARE PROJECTING
TO SPEND, JUST UNDER $4 MILLION
FOR STATE STAFF AND, AND $6
MILLION FOR VENDOR CONTRACTS,
FOR EXAMPLE, TRANSLATION. AND
THEN IN BUDGET YEAR PLUS ONE, WE
ARE PROJECTING TO SPEND $2.3
MILLION FOR STATE STAFF AND $5.5
MILLION FOR VENDOR CONTRACTS.
OKAY ALSO, ALL OF US OBVIOUSLY
WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE
THAT AS WE DEAL WITH THIS, THIS,
WHICH CERTAINLY IS GOING TO BE A
TOUGH BUDGET YEAR, AND NOT ONLY
THIS YEAR, BUT FOR THE NEXT TWO
FORESEEABLE YEARS, PROBABLY.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S BEEN THE
ASSEMBLY'S POSITION THAT WE HAVE
GOT TO DO EVERY ABSOLUTELY
EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO,
TO PROMOTE STABILITY WITHIN THE
POPULATION. AND NOT JUST WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL, JANUARY
PROPOSAL. OBVIOUSLY, THE NEXT
TIME WE ALL GET TOGETHER, WE'LL
BE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE NEW
PROPOSAL, BUT CERTAINLY AS WE
LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS, WE
CERTAINLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE
TOTALITY OF THE BUDGET, THERE
WERE STILL SOME AREAS THAT I
THINK WE WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED
A PRIORITY OVER ANOTHER, FOR
INSTANCE, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE
SOME JAILS WE'RE NOT USING AND
WE'RE JUST PAYING TO STAFF THEM,
BUT YET WE DIDN'T DECIDE TO
PROPOSE ANY CUTS TO CLOSING
THESE JAILS, BUT WE DECIDED TO
CUT THINGS IN CAL WORKS. RIGHT.
SO I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME
VALUE REALIGNMENTS. WE STILL
NEED TO TALK THROUGH, WHICH IS
WHY THIS PROCESS IS FOR THE GIVE
AND TAKE AND THE GREAT
DISCUSSIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAD.
BUT CERTAINLY WE HOPE THAT AS WE
ENTER INTO THE MAY REVISE THAT
WE HAVE A BETTER REALIGNMENT OF
WHAT PRIORITIES ARE FROM THE
TOTAL BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN MAKE
SURE THAT WE DON'T HURT PEOPLE
THAT DON'T NEED TO BE HURT. AND
I THINK A PART OF THAT PROCESS
ALSO MEANS THAT, UNFORTUNATELY,
WE HAVE TO, TELL SOME OF OUR
FRIENDS KNOW IN ORDER TO TRULY
ACHIEVE EQUITY AND, AND, WHAT I
CONSIDER EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN
TERMS OF HOW WE MAKE OUR
DECISION MAKING RIGHT. AND SO I
LOOK FORWARD TO CERTAINLY
WORKING, WITH THE SECRETARY AND,
AND HIS OFFICE, AND ALSO WORKING
WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN COME TO A BUDGET
THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF,
BECAUSE IF ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT
THE GREAT RECESSION, EVEN
OBJECTIVELY, I'M SURE THAT
ANYONE, PARTICULARLY EVEN THOSE
WHO USED TO SIT IN THIS AND WHO
USED TO HOLD THIS CHAIR,
CHAIRMANSHIP, DURING THAT TIME,
WE MADE SOME UNWISE DECISIONS
THAT I DON'T THINK REALLY
REFLECTED WHAT WE WHAT WE, AT
LEAST PORTRAY THE WHAT THE
VALUES OF CALIFORNIA IS. AND
CERTAINLY I DON'T THINK IT
ACHIEVED, WHAT, THE NORTH STAR
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
IS. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO
THOSE CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS AS
WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND
HOPEFULLY WE CAN, COME TO A GOOD
LANDING PLACE, THAT I THINK THAT
EVEN OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN EVEN
SAY THAT, HEY, WE KNOW WE DID.
YOU DID THE BEST THAT YOU COULD.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. ON
THIS ITEM AND WE WILL ALSO MAKE
SURE THAT IT, WE'LL HOLD THIS,
THIS ITEM OPEN, BUT CERTAINLY,
IF THERE'S ANY MORE INFORMATION
THAT WE ASK FOR, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE
GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT
SHORTER TIME FRAMES,
PARTICULARLY AS THE MAY REVISE
COMES, BUT CAN YOU MAKE SURE
THAT YOU PROVIDE THOSE, BALANCES
AND THAT TIMELINE TO US, PLEASE,
HOPEFULLY WE OUR GOAL IS TO GET
THIS BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
MAY 10TH, THANK YOU FOR ALREADY
HAVING SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS
ALREADY READY TO GO, WE WOULD
JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE
THAT FOR OUR RECORDS. AND IN
WRITING, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE'LL
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ISSUE
NUMBER TWO. AND I THINK. ALL THE
SAME, FOLKS, YOU ARE STILL THE
SAME. YOU ARE STILL HERE. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. YOU MAY BEGIN, SIR.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, SO YOU'RE
ITEM TWO IS THE HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES SERVICES INNOVATION
ACCELERATOR INITIATIVE DELAY
PROPOSED IN THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET. SO YOUR AGENDA ASKS FOR
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE
INITIATIVE IS AND WHAT IT
INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH, THE IDEA
WITH THIS IS TO TAKE A MODEST
AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDING TO HELP
ENSURE THAT INNOVATIONS IN THE
HEALTH CARE FIELD ARE TRANSLATED
INTO OUR HEALTH CARE SAFETY NET
SYSTEM. SO, THE CONCERN IS THAT
SOMETIMES THESE, NEW INNOVATIONS
AND I DON'T NECESSARILY JUST
MEAN LIKE A NEW MRI MACHINE, BUT
MAYBE NEW, MODELS OF CARE, NEW
WAYS OF COORDINATING CARE, NEW
WAYS OF SHARING INFORMATION MAY
BE DISSEMINATED IN THE
COMMERCIAL MARKET, BUT MAY NOT
MAKE IT TO OUR PUBLIC HOSPITALS,
FOR EXAMPLE, OR OUR CLINICS THAT
SERVE OUR MEDI-CAL POPULATION
AND OTHER LOW INCOME FOLKS. AND
SO THE IDEA HERE WAS TO DO TO
USE THIS TO SORT OF TRANSLATE
BEST NEW PRACTICES AND
TECHNOLOGIES AND APPROACHES TO
HEALTH CARE, TO MAKE SURE THAT
IT'S BENEFITING ALL CALIFORNIANS
IN THE HEALTH CARE SAFETY NET.
THAT'S THE IDEA. WE CERTAINLY
THIS WAS INFORMED BY OUR
EXPERIENCE IN COVID, WHERE WE
SAW VAST DISPARITIES IN THE
IMPACT OF COVID ACROSS LOW
INCOME COMMUNITIES COMPARED TO
HIGH INCOME COMMUNITIES AND WE
JUST ARE HOPING THAT WE CAN
BETTER ENSURE THAT FOLKS WHO ARE
SERVED BY OUR HEALTH CARE SAFETY
NET GET THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE,
SO THAT'S, THE IDEA IS THAT IT
WOULD WE WOULD FOCUS ON SOME OF
THE KEY CHALLENGES FACED BY OUR
LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES. FOR
EXAMPLE, INFANT MORTALITY,
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, HIGHER
LEVELS OF DIABETES AND SEEN IN
OTHER MORE AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES,
THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET,
PROVIDES FOR $75 MILLION SPREAD
OVER THE CURRENT YEAR. AND THE
BUDGET YEAR FOR THIS INITIATIVE,
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
PROPOSES TO DELAY 74 MILLION OF
THAT TO BUDGET YEAR PLUS ONE AND
BUDGET YEAR PLUS TWO, YOUR
AGENDA ASKS WHAT SUBSTANTIVE
DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ON THIS
INITIATIVE. SO, WHEN THE MONEY
WAS APPROPRIATED IN THE CURRENT
YEAR BUDGET, WE CREATED AN RFP
PROCESS TO BRING IN SOME OUTSIDE
ASSISTANCE TO HELP US SET UP THE
STRUCTURE OF THIS. SO THINKING
ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND A LONG TERM
PLAN FOR HOW TO USE THE MONEY,
WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACES
TO TARGET THE MONEY ARE, WHO THE
BEST PARTNERS ARE TO WORK WITH.
HOWEVER, ACKNOWLEDGING THE
WORSENING STATE'S FISCAL
SITUATION, AND KNOWING THAT
THERE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BE
BUDGET BALANCING SOLUTIONS AS
PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET,
WE ACTUALLY CANCELED THAT RFP IN
DECEMBER OF 2023, AND THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSES TO
DELAY, AS I SAID, PROPOSES TO
DELAY THIS FUNDING. SO
ESSENTIALLY, BECAUSE SEEING WHAT
WAS COMING IN TERMS OF THE
FISCAL SITUATION, WE PAUSED WORK
ON THIS, TO THE EXTENT THIS
MONEY IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET
THAT'S ADOPTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE LATER THIS YEAR,
THEN WE WOULD RESTART WORK IN
THE BUDGET YEAR. BUT WE'RE JUST
WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE
DISCUSSIONS ARE BETWEEN THE
ADMINISTRATION AND THE
LEGISLATURE AND WHAT THE
ULTIMATE DECISIONS ARE MADE ON
THIS PROPOSAL IN THE BUDGET ACT,
THE YOUR AGENDA PROPOSES, HOW
HOW THIS FIT IN WITH OTHER
DELAYS AND CUTS AND OTHER SAFETY
NET PROGRAMS. AND SO WHAT I
WOULD SAY IS WE LOOKED AT THIS
ADMINISTRATION INITIATIVE THAT
WE WOULD RATHER DELAY THIS THAN
MAKE OTHER CUTS. AND SO WE
DELAYED THIS IN ORDER TO AVOID
OTHER WORSE CUTS IN THE BUDGET
YEAR. AND THAT GIVES US TIME TO
THINK ABOUT THE LONGER TERM PLAN
FOR THIS INITIATIVE, YOUR AGENDA
ASKS WHAT ENTITIES WOULD BE
PARTNER TO RECEIVE FUNDING. THE
FOCUS IS ON THE HEALTH CARE
SAFETY NET. SO, FOR EXAMPLE,
PUBLIC HOSPITALS, CLINICS,
POSSIBLY RURAL HOSPITALS, BUT
THEN THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS
THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DIVE IN
AND WORK ON ABOUT WHO WE WOULD
PARTNER WITH, THE IDEA WOULD NOT
BE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE GIVING
MONEY TO FOR PROFIT ENTITIES AS
GRANTS. BUT THERE MAY BE
SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE WORKING
WITH OUR SAFETY NET PROVIDERS,
AND THEN THERE IS A FOR PROFIT
ENTITY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT HAS A
NEW TECHNOLOGY OR SYSTEM THAT
THEY COULD SHARE THAT WOULD
BENEFIT HEALTH CARE. IN THAT
CASE, THERE MAY BE A PARTNERSHIP
THERE, BUT THE INTENT REALLY IS
FOR THIS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE
SAFETY NET SYSTEM, THE PUBLIC
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AND
ENTITIES LIKE THOSE, RATHER THAN
LARGE FOR PROFIT ENTITIES, WE
ANTICIPATE USING A THIRD PARTY
ADMINISTRATOR TO AWARD GRANTS TO
THESE SAFETY NET ENTITIES. AND
THEN OUR OUR HOPE IS, AS WE
SCALE THIS UP, THAT WE MAY BE
ABLE TO DRAW IN PHILANTHROPIC
AND OTHER ENTITIES WHO MIGHT
ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THIS
MISSION, THAT IN WAYS THAT MAY
BRING IN OTHER FUNDS TO LEVERAGE
OUR STATE FUNDS TO INCREASE THE
BENEFIT TO THE SAFETY NET SYSTEM
. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, THANK
YOU. NO ADDITIONAL COMMENT BY
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS
YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THIS TOPIC.
THANK YOU LEO. THANK YOU, WHILE
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
IDENTIFIED SOME ISSUES AND
PROBLEMS THAT MAY MERIT SOME
ATTENTION AND, COULD POTENTIALLY
BE THE FOCUS OF THIS INITIATIVE,
I THINK IN OUR VIEW, THE
PROPOSAL REMAINS LARGELY
CONCEPTUAL. AL. AND, YOU KNOW,
IN LIGHT OF YOUR COMMENTS, MR.
CHAIR, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
HEARING ABOUT A LOT OF THE
DIFFICULT CHOICES OF THE
LEGISLATURE IS FACING THIS YEAR,
I THINK THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE
A CANDIDATE FOR A REDUCTION
RATHER THAN A DELAY IN OUR VIEW,
HOWEVER, TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS
INITIATIVE REMAINS A PART OF THE
STATE'S FISCAL PLAN GOING
FORWARD, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE ADOPT OVERSIGHT
LANGUAGE THAT WOULD HELP TO
ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE
SPENT CONSISTENT WITH
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. WE WOULD
BE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMITTEE TO
ASSIST IN DRAFTING ANY LANGUAGE,
MR. MCCARTHY CAN YOU TELL ME, SO
IS THE INNOVATOR INNOVATION AN
ACCELERATOR INITIATIVE,
PARTICULARLY ONLY IN THE HEALTH
FIELD, OR IS ANY OF IT IS THERE
ANY OF IT MEANT TO BE USED IN
HUMAN SERVICES? IT WAS DESIGNED
TO IMPACT THE HEALTH FIELD. MR.
CHAIR, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, YOU
KNOW, THE FOLKS THAT ARE SERVED
BY OUR PROGRAMS ARE SERVED BY
MULTIPLE PROGRAMS, AND WE HAVE
LOTS OF LOW INCOME FOLKS WHO ARE
SERVED BY CALWORKS AND OTHERS
SERVED BY MEDI-CAL. BUT IT WAS
SET UP AS A HEALTH CARE FOCUSED
INITIATIVE. OKAY, FANTASTIC, I
MEAN, CERTAINLY AS WE MOVE,
THROUGH AND WHEN THE MAY REVISE
COMES OUT, CERTAINLY LAO, IF YOU
CAN HELP US WITH DRAFTING SOME
OF THAT LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF
INTENT, BECAUSE IT ALSO SEEMS TO
ME THAT THERE DEPENDING ON HOW
THINGS GO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE
QUESTION IS, IS IT THE
GOVERNOR'S INTENT TO HAVE THIS
ACCELERATOR PROGRAM IN
PERPETUITY? RIGHT. MEANING, DOES
HE BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD ALSO
BE AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE
ADMINISTRATIONS WHEN HE LEAVES?
OR IS THIS JUST FOR THE
REMAINDER OF HIS TERM? DO YOU
HAVE ANY IDEA ON WHAT THE VISION
IS FOR THIS, THANKS, MR. TERM.
THE PLAN WAS FOR THIS TO BE A
ONE TIME AUGMENTATION TO DO
THIS, TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS,
TO BRING THESE TECHNOLOGIES IN.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH
MEDI-CAL OR OTHER PAYER
SERVICES, THEN THE HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS WOULD, WOULD BILL FOR
THOSE KIND OF SERVICES. SO WE
SEE IT AS A ONE TIME INVESTMENT.
OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WE
WILL HOLD THIS ISSUE OPEN AND
THANK YOU. AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO
THE NEXT SUBJECT, WHICH IS THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL
REGARDING THE SAFETY NET RESERVE
FUND. AND WE'LL WAIT FOR US TO
BE JOINED BY SOME NEW FOLKS.
YEAH. MR. MCCARTHY, YOU MAY
BEGIN. OH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO DEFER TO
MY COLLEAGUE FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF FINANCE. OH, OKAY. HI. AND
I'M KHN DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
SO IN TERMS OF THE, SAFETY NET
RESERVE, THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
PROJECTS INCREASED MEDI-CAL AND
CALWORKS CASELOAD COMPARED TO
THE 2023 BUDGET ACT. GIVEN THESE
INCREASES AND THE PROJECTED
BUDGET SHORTFALL, THE BUDGET
PROPOSES TO WITHDRAW FROM THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE TO MAINTAIN
EXISTING BENEFITS AND SERVICES
FOR BOTH THE MEDI-CAL AND
CALWORKS PROGRAMS, THIS WILL
ALLOW THE STATE TO MAINTAIN
CALWORKS AND MEDI-CAL SERVICE
LEVELS WHILE AVOIDING FURTHER
REDUCTIONS, TO ESSENTIAL
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN THESE
AREAS, AND DURING THIS ECONOMIC
DOWNTURN, THE ADMINISTRATION
BELIEVES THIS PROPOSAL IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
INTENT AND EXISTING LAW TO
MAINTAIN THESE PROGRAMS. AND OF
BENEFITS AND SERVICES FOR
MEDI-CAL AND CALWORKS PROGRAM.
RAIMES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, GRACE.
THANK YOU. CHAIR. ANDREW. SHANE
HE HIM FROM GRACE CENTRAL
POVERTY, CALIFORNIA, THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK
ABOUT THIS, IN PARTICULAR, WHAT
IS A DOUBLE CUT IN TERMS OF THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE WITHDRAWAL
AND THE SEVERAL CUTS TO THE CAL
WORKS PROGRAM, AS NOTED ON IN
TERMS OF THE SAFETY NET RESERVE
ITSELF, IT IS A PROPOSAL FOR A
COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL, AND WE
WOULD POINT TO HOW INEQUITABLE
THIS IS IN COMPARISON TO THE
PROPOSAL FOR OTHER RESERVES,
WHICH ARE MUCH LARGER AND YET
ARE SUSTAINED ABOUT HALF, AND
THE BUDGET CENTER HAS PROVIDED
INFORMATION. AND WE'RE GLAD TO
FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ABOUT THAT,
AND AS THE AGENDA LAYS OUT, THE
PREVIOUS COMMENTS
NOTWITHSTANDING, YOU KNOW, THE
LAW IS WRITTEN AS WELL ABOUT, AS
WELL AS THE AGENDA ABOUT HOW
THIS VERY WELL MAY NOT MEET THE
STATUTORY GOAL. AND I WOULD ALSO
POINT TO NEW DATA BY THE CAL
BUDGET CENTER THAT REVISITS THE
ORIGINAL 2019 LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST'S OFFICE EXPECTATIONS
FOR THE SAFETY NET RESERVE, AND
CONTRAST THAT WITH CURRENT
CASELOAD AND CURRENT GRANT
LEVELS. REALLY HOW FRAGILE THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE IS AND THE
PRESSURES THAT COULD BE PUT ON
IT. AND AS YOU NOTED, CHAIR, WE
COULD BE LOOKING AT MULTIYEAR
DEFICITS. SO I THINK THE
QUESTION IS WHY IS THE ONLY
RESERVE DEDICATED TO SAFETY NET
PROGRAMS, BY FAR THE SMALLEST,
THE ONLY ONE TARGETED FOR
COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL IN THE
PROPOSED BUDGET? SO JUST IN
TERMS OF THE DOUBLE CUT, THEN
SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE
TARGETED, I CHAIR, I KNOW YOU'VE
ALREADY HEARD THIS, BUT IN TERMS
OF FAMILY STABILIZATION, WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT, IN CALWORKS
PROGRAMS THAT YOU'VE HAD
COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME HERE AND
TALK ABOUT HOW IT HAS SAVED
THEIR LIVES. IT HAS GIVEN THEM
PLACES TO STAY, GET OFF THE
STREET, BE ABLE TO HAVE A
KITCHEN TO COOK THE FOOD AND THE
GROCERIES WITH THEIR FOOD STAMPS
AND HELP THEM GO TO COLLEGE AND
TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND.
EVICTION PROTECTION, HOUSING,
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, THE TRUE STABILITY THAT
THAT YOU SPOKE TO. YOU KNOW, WE
SAW JUST LAST FALL THAT, IN
FACT, A BABY DIED AT A BUS STOP
AT LAX WHEN THE MOTHER WAS
TRYING TO REACH OUT FOR HELP.
NOW, WE'LL NEVER KNOW IF SHE WAS
CALWORKS ELIGIBLE, BUT IT'S
HIGHLY LIKELY THAT SHE WOULD
HAVE BEEN NOT ONLY ELIGIBLE, BUT
ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR FAMILY
STABILIZATION. AND SO THESE ARE
THE HUMAN CONSEQUENCE REYES THAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE FOR
SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT FROM
NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES, LOS
ANGELES. HERE'S A QUOTE FROM
LUCIA VASQUEZ. I'VE BEEN AN
EMPLOYEE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL
SERVICES FOR FIVE YEARS AND
SEVEN MONTHS, AND I FIRST
STARTED AS A SUBSIDIZED
EMPLOYMENT WORKER. I'VE GAINED A
CAREER AS AN INTAKE SCREENER,
HELPING OTHERS, AND I'M PROUD OF
THE PLACE I WORK. AND WE KNOW
THAT'S TRUE BOTH FOR PRIVATE
ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS
COUNTIES, HELPING ACHIEVE THE
CULTURE CHANGE IN OUR PROGRAM,
AS WELL AS THE DEEP CUTS TO THE
SINGLE ALLOCATION THAT PUT JOBS
AT RISK. SO JUST BRIEFLY, I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT THE DOUBLE CUT DOES STAND
IN OPPOSITION TO AND UNDERMINES
THE AGENCY'S GUIDING PRINCIPLES
AND PRIORITIES. A FEW EXAMPLES
OF THIS THE FOCUS ON EQUITY. THE
CALWORKS CASELOAD ITSELF IS AN
INDICTMENT OF THE BROADER SOCIAL
FORCES OF SYSTEMIC RACISM AND
PATRIARCHY. WHY DO WE HAVE 90%
OF FAMILIES LED BY WOMEN WITH
LATINAS AND BLACK MOTHERS SO
HORRIBLY OVERREPRESENTED? IT'S
VERY CLEAR WHY THAT IS. THE
RECENT LAO REPORT ON CHILD
WELFARE LAYS OUT THE SERIOUS
DISPROPORTIONALITY THAT ALREADY
EXIST AND HIGHLIGHT THE RESEARCH
WE KNOW IS EXTENSIVE ON HOW
STRENGTHENING CONCRETE SUPPORTS,
LIKE CALWORKS, IS A PROVEN
PREVENTATIVE MEASURE AND BOLSTER
WOULD BOLSTER THE PRIORITIES OF
PREVENTION FOR THE AGENCY. USING
DATA TO DRIVE ACTION FROM EVEN A
PURELY FISCAL PERSPECTIVE, THE
DATA ARE CLEAR THAT EVERY $1 CUT
FROM CALWORKS COSTS EIGHT,
BECAUSE AS WE PUSH FAMILIES PAST
THE BRINK INTO CHILD WELFARE
SYSTEM, IMPACT INTO PUBLIC
SAFETY, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE
LOST OPPORTUNITY AS CHILDREN ARE
NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE THEIR
POTENTIAL IN SCHOOL AND THEIR
CAREERS. AND LAST AND MOST
CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THIS
UNDERMINES THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN
TO PURSUE THE NEW TANF PILOT
THROUGH THE FISCAL
RESPONSIBILITY ACT. THE FRA,
WHICH ALLOWS US TO FINALLY SET
ASIDE THE FAILED PUNITIVE RULES
AND TEST REAL FAMILY OUTCOMES IN
FAMILY STABILITY AND WELL-BEING.
TRULY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
SAYING WE SHOULD GO IN THIS
DIRECTION. AND YET THESE ARE
SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE
TARGETED IN ADDITION TO THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE, SO WE'RE
HOPING THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND
ADMINISTRATION WILL COME
TOGETHER, CONTINUE THE PROGRAM'S
DIRECTION IN MEDI-CAL AND
CALWORKS, AND PRESERVE THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE, AS YOU
NOTED, WHAT COULD BE MULTIPLE
YEARS OF DEFICITS? GOOD
AFTERNOON, EILEEN KUBINSKI WITH
THE COUNTY WELFARE DIRECTORS
ASSOCIATION. I'LL JUST BRIEFLY
ADD A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT ANDREW
HAS ALREADY SO ELOQUENTLY
STATED. YOU KNOW, WE OTHER
ADVOCATES HAVE REPEATEDLY
EXPRESSED OUR STRENUOUS
OPPOSITION TO THE APPROXIMATELY
$400 MILLION IN PROPOSED ONGOING
CUTS TO CALWORKS SERVICES. AND
WHILE WE'RE GRATIFIED TO SEE
THAT THE GRANT LEVELS REMAIN
UNTOUCHED AT THE MOMENT, WE ARE
ALL DECEIVING OURSELVES. IF WE
DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE
DEVASTATING SHORT AND LONG TERM
IMPACTS OF THE ELIMINATION OF
FAMILY STABILIZATION SERVICES,
SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES, DIRECT COUNTY
WORKER SUPPORT TO FAMILIES, AND
OTHER TANGIBLE SUPPORTS THAT
WILL OCCUR IF THE BUDGET IS
PROPOSED, IS ENACTED, AND ANDREW
HAS LAID OUT SOME REALLY,
DRAMATIC AND PROBABLY TYPICAL
EXAMPLES OF, OF THE IMPACTS OF
THESE CUTS. THE LÀ IS NOTED IN
THE AGENDA HAS POSED A RELEVANT
AND PROVOCATIVE QUESTION ABOUT
WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATION'S USE
OF THE SAFETY NET RESERVE IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT. IF
NOT THE LETTER OF THE LAW. BUT
IT'S CERTAIN, THOUGH, THAT THE
LEGISLATURE INTENDED THE
EXISTENCE OF THE SAFETY NET
RESERVE TO ACT AS A BUFFER OR A
BACKSTOP AGAINST THE VERY
CALWORKS CUTS THAT ARE PROPOSED
IN THIS BUDGET. IT'S WHAT THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE WAS CREATED
BY THE LEGISLATURE TO PREVENT TO
SEE THE ENTIRETY OF THE RESERVE
EXHAUSTED IN THE FIRST YEAR OF
WHAT IS EXPECTED TO BE A MULTI
YEAR REVENUE DIP. NOT NOT
EXACTLY A RECESSION, BUT
REVENUES COMING IN LOWER THAN
PROJECTED IS EXTREMELY TROUBLING
AND LEAVES US NOWHERE ELSE TO GO
IN FUTURE FISCAL YEARS. AND THE
USE OF THE ENTIRETY OF THE
SAFETY NET RESERVE, WITH NONE OF
IT SPARING THE CALWORKS PROGRAMS
FROM SERVICES CUTS, IS A
DISAPPOINTING STATEMENT OF
VALUES, AS ANDREW DESCRIBED IT.
WELL, IT'S A DOUBLE CUT TO
CALWORKS. WE RECOGNIZE THE
LEGISLATURE HAS REALLY DIFFICULT
CHOICES TO MAKE FOR HOW TO
BALANCE THIS BUDGET, BUT WE URGE
THAT THE BUDGET, NOT BE BALANCED
ON THE BACKS OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES ALREADY EXPERIENCING
DEEP POVERTY, AND THAT WE
PRESERVE THIS OPTION FOR THE
FUTURE. THANK YOU. LEO. GOOD
AFTERNOON, SONYA SCHRAGER RUSSO
WITH THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S
OFFICE, A NUMBER OF OUR COMMENTS
HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED THUS FAR,
BUT JUST TO ECHO WHAT SOME OF MY
COLLEAGUES ON THE PANEL HAVE
MENTIONED, IN TERMS OF OUR
THOUGHTS ON THE SAFETY NET
RESERVE WITHDRAWAL, AS HAS BEEN
MENTIONED, IT'S UNCERTAIN AT
THIS TIME IF THE ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE FACING,
MEET WHAT THE LEGISLATION
INTENDED FOR THIS RESERVE. AND
THEN ADDITIONALLY IN TERMS OF
THE FULL WITHDRAWAL OF THE
BALANCE, THE 900 MILLION AS HAS
BEEN MENTIONED, THIS IS A BIT
INCONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL
APPROACH THE ADMINISTRATION
APPEARS TO BE TAKING TO USING
RESERVES IN THIS BUDGET, SINCE
AGAIN, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED,
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PROPOSED
WITHDRAWING ONLY HALF OF THE
OTHER RESERVE, WHICH IS
CONSTITUTED ONLY ALLOWABLE, AS
WELL AS THE FULL DISCRETIONARY
BALANCE OF THAT OTHER RESERVE.
WHEREAS THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
PROPOSED THE FULL WITHDRAWAL OF
THE SAFETY NET RESERVE. LAL, DO
YOU, CONCUR WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF FINANCE THAT THIS IS THIS
THIS PROPOSAL IS CONSISTENT WITH
LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATION,
LEGISLATIVE INTENT? I THINK IT'S
DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THAT
EXACTLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME. I
THINK AS WE GET A BETTER SENSE
OF WHAT THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
LOOK LIKE HEADED INTO THIS MAY
REVISION, WE MAY HAVE A BETTER
SENSE OF IF CASELOAD IS CHANGING
IN THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S WRITTEN
IN THE LEGISLATION, BUT AT THIS
POINT, WE HAVEN'T SEEN SOME SORT
OF DRAMATIC INCREASE IN CASELOAD
IN EITHER CALWORKS OR MEDI-CAL,
THAT THE LEGISLATION SEEMS TO
POINT TO AS THE TRIGGER FOR
USING THE SAFETY NET RESERVE.
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE I'VE I'VE
MET WITH PEOPLE WHO AND PEOPLE
WHO SAT IN THIS POSITION DURING
THE TIME THAT RESERVE WAS
CREATED, AND I HAVE NOT FOUND
ANYONE YET THAT SAYS THAT, THE
WAY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS
USING THIS RESERVE IS CONSISTENT
WITH LEGISLATIVE INTENT. CAN YOU
POINT TO SOMETHING THAT TELLS US
THAT WE ARE WRONG? RIGHT. SO, I
THINK THE LEGISLATION POINTS TO,
BEING ABLE TO USE FOR THE
PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING EXISTING
PROGRAM BENEFITS AND SERVICES
FOR BOTH THE MEDI-CAL AND
CALWORKS PROGRAMS, THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET DOES PROPOSE
LIKE A $499 MILLION INCREASE IN
GENERAL FUND FOR THE MEDI-CAL
PROGRAM COMPARED TO THE 2023
BUDGET ACT. AND THEN THERE IS A
2.3% INCREASE FOR CALWORKS
CASELOAD AND THEN A 3.9%
INCREASE, FOR CALWORKS CASELOAD
IN THE BUDGET YEAR COMPARED TO
THE 2023 BUDGET ACT. SO THOSE
INCREASES, COMPILED WITH THE
ISSUE OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT THAT
WE'RE FACING, THE ADMINISTRATION
BELIEVES THAT IT DOES CONSTITUTE
IT UTILIZING THE SAFETY NET
RESERVE. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE
UTILIZED. BUT WHEN YOU ADD UP
THOSE INCREASES, WHICH SEEMS TO
BE THE INTENT, IT IT DOESN'T ADD
UP TO GETTING RID OF THE WHOLE
THING. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT
IT'S PART OF THE REASON, BUT
IT'S NOT THE TOTAL REASON WHY
YOU'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE ALL
OF IT. WHEN WE KNOW THAT IN
FUTURE YEARS, IN THE NEXT TWO
YEARS, WE STILL HAVE A
STRUCTURAL DEFICIT WE NEED TO
SOLVE. SO WHAT GIVES US
PROTECTION FOR FUTURE YEARS, IN
ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T
HAVE TO MAKE FURTHER CUTS, TO
THIS NEXT YEAR. RIGHT. SO
WITHDRAWING THE RESERVE FOR IN
THE CURRENT AND BUDGET YEAR
WOULD, ADDRESS ALONG WITH THE
BUDGET SOLUTIONS THAT ARE
PROPOSED IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S
BUDGET, IT WOULD SOLVE FOR THE
DEFICIT IN CURRENT YEAR AND
BUDGET YEAR. SO I THINK IT'S
APPROPRIATE FOR ME JUST TO MAKE
CLEAR THAT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A
FULL WITHDRAWAL OF THE RESERVES,
IT IS MY EXPECTATION THAT THERE
WOULD BE NO CUTS TO ANY OF THE
HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS BECAUSE
THE FULL RESERVE HAS BEEN
PROPOSED TO BE USED. NOW WHAT
I'M SEEING IS, IS THAT EVEN
THOUGH WE MADE THE WISE DECISION
OF HAVING A RESERVE FOR THE
SAFETY NET PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE
ACTUALLY Kò FROM, THE LACK OF A
BETTER WORD, WE'RE STEALING FROM
HUMAN SERVICES TO PREVENT OTHER
CUTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER
PLACES. BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO
MAKE CUTS IN OTHER HUMAN
SERVICES BECAUSE WE DEEM THOSE
OTHER THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
HUMAN SERVICES. RIGHT. AND SO I
THINK MY, MY ONLY PUSHBACK AND
IT'LL BE THE SAME PUSHBACK IF
IT'S IN THE MAY REVISE, TO BE
HONEST, IS THAT IF WE ARE GOING
TO PROPOSE A FULL ELIMINATION OF
THE RESERVE, THERE SHOULD BE NO
CUTS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT WAS
INTENDED TO HAPPEN. AND SO, I
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT
IS CLEAR AND THAT HOPEFULLY WE
WON'T HAVE TO, CONTINUE TO, BE
PUT IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE
CERTAINLY THERE IS SOMETHING TO
NOW, I'M A POLITICAL SCIENCE
MAJOR. LET ME JUST MAKE THAT
CLEAR. I AM NOT GOOD AT MATH.
BUT EVEN EVEN WITH MY HANDICAP
IN TERMS OF MATH, SOMETHING JUST
DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT. AND IT IS MY
HOPE THAT WE CAN CLARIFY THIS IN
THE MAY REVISE, BECAUSE, JUST
FROM A EQUITY STANDPOINT AND A
JUSTICE STANDPOINT, WE ARE
LITERALLY TAKING MONEY THAT IS
MEANT FOR OUR POOREST AND MOST
VULNERABLE POPULATION, AND WE'RE
USING IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE. SO
THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEMS THAT
WE DID DURING THE GREAT
RECESSION. AND IT'S MY HOPE AND
MY INTENT TO BE QUITE FRANK,
THAT WE DON'T MAKE THOSE SAME
MISTAKES, AGAIN, SO I APPRECIATE
IT, I THINK THAT, OVERALL, I
WANT TO THANK LAO ALSO FOR
GIVING US ANOTHER SOME ALSO SOME
ALTERNATIVE CUTS TO THINK ABOUT.
IF WE HAD TO MAKE IN HUMAN
SERVICES, IN WHICH WE ARE
REVIEWING NOW. BUT THERE'S NO
DOUBT THAT WE HAVE TO COME TO A
CONCLUSION HERE, AND IT'S
GETTING IT'S ALMOST A FOURTH
QUARTER TIME WHEN IT COMES TO
THESE, THESE BUDGET TIMES. BUT I
THINK AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO
HAVE THESE DIALOGS AND CONTINUE
TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE
SOME ALTERNATIVES TO THESE
THINGS, CERTAINLY I THINK WE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET TO A POINT
WHERE WE HAVE A BUDGET THAT WE
CAN ALL BE PROUD OF, SO, I WANT
TO THANK EVERYONE FOR, THIS
ITEM, AND WE WILL HOLD THIS OPEN
AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SUBJECT.
ISSUE NUMBER FOUR, CENTER FOR
DATA INSIGHTS AND INNOVATION AND
EFFORTS TO SIMPLIFY PROGRAM
ACCESS TO HUMAN SERVICES AND
HEALTH PROGRAMS.
THANK YOU. ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND
DOCTOR COREY JACKSON AND MEMBERS
OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT
THE CENTER FOR DATA INSIGHTS AND
INNOVATION. IT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
I CAN MOVE FORWARD TO THE
QUESTIONS LISTED IN THE AGENDA,
SO FOR A QUICK OVERVIEW OF KDEI,
SINCE THE CREATION FOR THE
CENTER FOR DATA INSIGHTS AND
INNOVATION IN 2021, KDEI HAS
BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERAL KEY
HHS INITIATIVES. KDEI
ADMINISTERS THE STATE COMMITTEE
FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN
SUBJECTS. THAT'S SORT OF OUR
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD FOR
EXTERNAL RESEARCHERS TO RESEARCH
DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THE AGENCY.
IT SPEARHEADS THE CALIFORNIA
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DATA
EXCHANGE FRAMEWORK, OR DCSF
INITIATIVE. KDEI OVERSEES THE
AGENCY DATA HUB, AN OPEN DATA
PORTAL TO INTEGRATE AND
STANDARDIZE DATA ACROSS ALL CAL
HHS DEPARTMENTS. IT ALSO
COLLECTS AND PUBLISHES REPORTS
ON THE QUALITY OF CARE AND
PATIENT SERVICES, AND
STRENGTHENS THE SECURITY OF DATA
PROCESSES WITHIN THE AGENCY. IN
2023, DEVELOPING THE DATA
EXCHANGE FRAMEWORK REMAINED A
TOP PRIORITY BY CONTINUING TO
LEAD INTER-DEPARTMENTAL
COLLABORATION, KDEI STRIVES TO
INCUBATE AND INNOVATE DATA
DRIVEN STRATEGIES, ECOSYSTEMS,
AND PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
DESIGNED TO IMPROVE DATA SHARING
AND ANALYTICS ACROSS THE AGENCY,
WHILE ENCOURAGING INCREASED
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT FROM OUR
PARTNERS. SO, THE NEXT QUESTION,
THE CROSSOVER ON IMPACT BETWEEN
MAJOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PROGRAMS, RAIMES AND, FOR
INSTANCE, HOW MANY OF THESE
ENROLLED IN MEDI-CAL ARE
ELIGIBLE FOR AND ENROLLED IN OR
NOT? CALFRESH AND CALWORKS. THIS
IS A QUESTION THAT CDSS AND DHCS
ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON
TOGETHER, AS PART OF THE
CONTINUED EFFORTS TO MEASURE AND
INCREASE CROSS ENROLLMENT, CDSS
IS USING EXISTING APPLICATION
AND RECERTIFICATION DATA. SHARED
BY CALIFORNIANS FROM ONE PROGRAM
TO ESTIMATE HOW MANY
CALIFORNIANS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR
A DIFFERENT PROGRAM. CDSS WILL
THEN BE ABLE TO PRODUCE AN
ACTIONABLE LIST OF POTENTIALLY
ELIGIBLE CALIFORNIANS THAT CAN
BE USED FOR CROSS ENROLLMENT AND
AN IN-REACH MEASURE TO TRACK THE
LEVEL OF CROSS ENROLLMENT
BETWEEN PROGRAMS. SO THIS IS AN
EXCITING MOMENT IN DATA AND
RESEARCH ENABLED BY THE SAAS
MIGRATION. THE STATEWIDE IDEA,
AND INVESTMENTS IN BUILDING
DATA, RESEARCH TEAMS THAT HAVE
THE CAPACITY TO DO THIS WORK
IN-HOUSE. AS PART OF ITS WORK ON
MEASURING CAL WORKS, TAKE UP
CDSS IS USING APPLICATION AND
RECERTIFICATION DATA FROM CAL
SOURCE TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY
CALIFORNIANS ENROLLED IN
CALFRESH ARE POTENTIALLY
ELIGIBLE FOR AND ARE CROSS
ENROLLED IN, CAL WORKS. CDSS HAS
A PLANNED BRIEFING WITH THE
LEGISLATURE THIS COMING FRIDAY,
WITH A PUBLIC RELEASE OF RESULTS
THIS MONTH, LASTLY ON THIS
TOPIC, CDSS AND DHCS ARE
CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING WHAT IS
POSSIBLE WITH AVAILABLE DATA.
IDEALLY, CDSS WOULD END USE
APPLICATION AND RECERTIFICATION
DATA FROM CAL SOURCE TO
UNDERSTAND HOW MANY CALIFORNIANS
ARE ENROLLED IN MEDI-CAL, AND
ARE POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR.
CROSS ENROLLED IN CAL WORKS OR
CAL FRESH. THEY HAVE SIGNED A
BUSINESS USE CASE PROPOSAL OR
BIÂU. ÁP SHARED DATA AND ARE
CONTINUALLY ANALYZING THAT DATA.
AS FAR AS WHAT KDEI IS WORKING
ON TO ESTABLISH A SINGLE POINT
OF MULTIPLE PROGRAMS FOR
ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND
FAMILIES, ENABLING THEM TO HAVE
ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS
WHEN THEY APPLY FOR ONE. SO KDEI
ISN'T CURRENTLY CURRENTLY
FOCUSED ON THE FRONT END OF
ELIGIBILITY SYSTEMS, WHERE A
SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY WOULD BE
USED, AND WORKING WITH THE DATA,
WE ARE FOCUSED ON CONTINUING TO
LEAD INTER-DEPARTMENTAL
COLLABORATION WHILE STRIVING TO
INCUBATE AND INNOVATE DATA
DRIVEN ECOSYSTEMS OF PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES IN THE FUTURE,
HOWEVER, KDEI AGREES THAT
LINKING CLIENT DATA ACROSS
DEPARTMENTS WOULD SIMPLIFY THE
APPLICATION PROCESS BY
LEVERAGING INFORMATION THAT
ALREADY EXISTS WITHIN THE STATE.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT CURRENTLY, KDEI ISN'T
WORKING ON. AS FAR AS THE
CRITICAL PROGRAM OUTCOMES, THAT
INTER-AGENCY DATA SHARING
AGREEMENT HELPS US UNDERSTAND AT
THE STATE LEVEL, THERE'S A FEW
EFFORTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY
UNDERWAY THAT UTILIZE THE
INTERAGENCY DATA EXCHANGE
AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE EARLY
CHILDHOOD INTEGRATED DATA
SYSTEM, OR ECIDS. SO KDEI IS
WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO
COLLECT, INTEGRATE, MAINTAIN,
STORE AND REPORT INFORMATION
FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
THAT SERVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
FROM BIRTH TO AGE FIVE. WE ARE
IN THE PROCESS OF RECEIVING DATA
FROM DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE CAN
BEGIN TO IDENTIFY WORKFORCE
SHORTAGES, TEACHER SUPPORTS FOR
INCLUSIVE PRACTICES, AND ACCESS
TO FACILITIES. ANOTHER USE CASE
CDI IS LOOKING TO ESTABLISH IS
BETWEEN THE CALIFORNIA
INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON
HOMELESSNESS OR CAL, ACH AND
CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HERMAN'S
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENTS, STARTING WITH THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH CARE SERVICES. SO ONE
COMPONENT OF THIS AGREEMENT OF
HEALTH CARE, ONE COMPONENT IS,
IS TO ENABLE THE LINKING OF CAL
WORKS DATA WITH DATA FROM CAL HS
STATEWIDE HOMELESS DATA
INTEGRATION SYSTEM, OR DIS, AS
WELL AS WITH DATA FROM DHCS,
WHICH CONTAINS FLAGS FOR
HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING
INSECURITY. SO IMPORTANTLY, THIS
DATA WOULD BE LINKED TO OR AT
THE CLIENT LEVEL, ENABLING BOTH
AN UNDUPLICATED COUNT AND A RATE
OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR
HOUSING INSTABILITY IN THE CAL
WORKS POPULATION. SO THE LAST
QUESTION HERE, WE HAVE FOR
INCREASING ATTENTION TO THE RATE
OF HOMELESSNESS, AND INSTABILITY
IN THE CALWORKS POPULATION. SO
THE CENTER FOR DATA INSIGHTS,
ALONG WITH DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES, CAL ACH AND HEALTH
CARE SERVICES ARE IN THE FINAL
STAGES OF SIGNING AN AGREEMENT
TO MERGE AND ANALYZE THE
STATEWIDE HOMELESS DATA
INTEGRATION SYSTEM, OR DIS DATA
AND THE DATA FROM VARIOUS SAFETY
NET PROGRAMS, INCLUDING MEDI-CAL
AND CALWORKS, THIS IS TO
UNDERSTAND OR BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE RATES OF HOMELESSNESS AND
HOUSING INSTABILITY AMONG
CALIFORNIANS AS THAT AGENCY
CURRENTLY SERVES. THIS IS AN
UNPRECEDENTED AND AN EXCITING
MOMENT. IT WILL BE THE FIRST
TIME THE STATE WILL HAVE INSIGHT
INTO THE INTERSECTION OF DATA ON
UTILIZATION OF THE LOCAL
HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS, AS
SEEN THROUGH LOCAL HOMELESS
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS,
THERE ARE MANY RESEARCH
QUESTIONS THAT THIS DATA SET
COULD UNLOCK, INCLUDING HOW MANY
CALIFORNIANS ARE ENROLLED IN CAL
WORKS. AND THERE'S ALSO THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A
METHODOLOGY TO MEASURE HOUSING
AND STABILITY AMONG THE MEDI-CAL
AND CALWORKS CASELOAD. SO THIS
IS GOING TO TAKE SEVERAL YEARS
TO DEVELOP, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
THE HMMIS DATA REQUIRES COMPLEX
DATA MANAGEMENT AND DATA
ANALYSIS. HOWEVER ONCE WE INVEST
THE TIME AND WRANGLING THIS DATA
, MERGING THESE DATA SETS, AND
DEVELOPING AND APPLYING COMPLEX
METHODOLOGIES, WE'RE HOPEFUL
THESE MEASURES CAN BE PRODUCED
ON AN ONGOING BASIS AND CAN
REGULARLY INFORM OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF HOMELESSNESS
AND HOUSING AND STABILITY AMONG
CALWORKS RECIPIENTS, AND FURTHER
INFORM POLICY DECISIONS. THERE
WILL BE ONGOING NEEDS OF
CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
OF THE DATA. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE
AN INNOVATIVE LOOK AT THE
LARGEST INTERSECTION OF
HOMELESSNESS AND SOCIAL SERVICES
DATA STATEWIDE. OPEN TO
QUESTIONS. THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE JOSEPH DAWSON,
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE NO
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BY. HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT
HAVE. LEO RYAN MILLER, LEO.
NOTHING TO ADD, I JUST A FEW
THINGS HERE. DIRECTOR OBVIOUSLY,
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE
RAISED IN TERMS OF, I MEAN, THE
GREATEST THING THE, THE, THE
GREATEST IMPACT THAT I THINK YOU
CAN YOU CAN HAVE, PARTICULARLY
IN THE HUMAN SERVICES SPACE, IS
THAT OF, HELPING US TO REALLY
ENSURE THAT WE BREAK DOWN THESE
SILOS THAT EXIST, THAT ARE
STOPPING PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR THESE SERVICES. BUT BECAUSE
WE'RE WORKING IN SILOS, WE JUST
THEY'RE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY
NEED, PARTICULARLY IN A TIMELY
FASHION. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO
PUT THIS ON YOUR WORKLOAD, SO
THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE
FINALLY SOLVE THIS ISSUE. IT'S A
CRITICAL ISSUE, RIGHT, SENIORS
WHO QUALIFY FOR SSI, SSP, THE
PERCENTAGE OF WHICH ARE NOT
ENROLLED INTO CALFRESH, WHEN
THEY ARE ELIGIBLE IS VERY
CONCERNING, AND THERE'S MANY
EXAMPLES OF THIS. RIGHT. AND ONE
CASE, YOU HAVE TO GO TO ONE
OFFICE, SET UP AN APPOINTMENT,
AND THEN AND INSTEAD OF CREATING
A ONE STOP SHOP, THEY HAVE TO
NOW CREATE A SEPARATE
APPOINTMENT, TAKE TIME OFF OF
WORK, FIND CHILDCARE, REARRANGE
THINGS. RIGHT. SO WHAT NEEDS TO
HAPPEN TO ENSURE THAT YOU, HELP
US WITH SOLVING THIS ISSUE?
YEAH. I, I THINK THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE BACK.
DEFINITELY, DOES IT TAKE
LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE
THAT YOU DO IT? I DON'T THINK
THERE'S LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE OUT
THERE RIGHT NOW THAT, DENIES US
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE THAT.
BUT I DO NOT THINK IT TAKES
LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE. NO CAN WE
GET A COMMITMENT THAT YOU WILL
WORK ON IT? ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE
CERTAINLY, NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE
WE HAVE A LOT OF LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE. WE CAN WORK ON. WE
CAN. WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT THAT,
YOU KNOW? SO YOU KNOW, IF IT
WOULD BE HELPFUL. I MEAN, I
THINK THIS IS A CRITICAL THING,
WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN
INVESTING IN SO MUCH ON ALL
THESE DIFFERENT DATABASES AND
SYSTEMS, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TOLD
TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THIS WILL
HELP US TO CLOSE THOSE GAPS.
THIS WILL HELP US TO HAVE A ONE
STOP SHOP. RIGHT? I KNOW WE'RE
GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT ONE OF
THOSE DATABASES OR SYSTEMS IN
THE NEXT ITEM, BUT I WANT TO
HAVE CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS
WITH YOU. ABSOLUTELY, OFFLINE,
LAO, IF WE FEEL THE NEED TO,
PLEASE, CERTAINLY BE READY TO
HELP ASSIST US WITH ANY TRAILER
BILL LANGUAGE TO ENSURE THAT
THAT HAPPENS. IT IS ALSO MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A
REQUIREMENT IN LAW FOR AN ANNUAL
BRIEFING WITH LEGISLATIVE STAFF
TO FACILITATE OVERSIGHT OF K¾T
II. ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS LAW
REQUIREMENT TO DO SO? YES, WE
ARE, AND WE ARE OPEN TO ENGAGE
IN THAT CONVERSATION. WELL, I'M
NOT SURE IF IT MATTERS IF WE'RE
OPEN TO IT. IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT
LEGALLY WE HAVE TO. YES. SO WE
HAVE SUBMITTED. THAT INCLUDES
MYSELF. I DON'T THINK I CAN SAY
NO. ABSOLUTELY ALL RIGHT. SO
LET'S FIND A WAY TO THE
APPROPRIATE TIME OF THE YEAR.
EACH YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
DO THIS ANNUALLY, WHETHER IT'S
IN A FORM LIKE THIS OR HOWEVER.
IT'S THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO
SO, OUR COMMITTEE STAFF WILL
REACH OUT TO YOU TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE FULFILL OUR OBLIGATION,
LEGAL OBLIGATION, THÀNH, AND
MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT
APPROPRIATE, OVERSIGHT IF THAT'S
AMENABLE TO YOU. ABSOLUTELY AND,
AND IT'S NOT TOO BAD TO MEET
WITH ME, BY THE WAY. I'M QUITE
THE ENTERTAINER. SO I THINK
WE'LL BE GOOD. YOU LIKE MOUNTAIN
DEW, DO YOU? WHAT'S YOUR. I'M A
COKE GUY. I'M A COKE GUY. YOU'RE
A COKE GUY? COCA COLA. YEAH OH,
YOU'RE A COKE GUY. OKAY, WELL,
WE'LL WORK ON THAT. ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM
THEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR.
THANK YOU.
OKAY ISSUE NUMBER FIVE. SPEAKING
OF SYSTEMS, RAIMES. LET'S TALK
ABOUT THE STATEWIDE AUTOMATED
WELFARE SYSTEM. AND IT LOOKS
LIKE MR. ZARETSKY. DID I SAY
THAT RIGHT? YOU ABSOLUTELY DID.
ALL RIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE
KICKING US OFF. I AM ALL RIGHT.
GO FOR IT, MR. CHAIR. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS STEVEN
ZARETSKY, AND I'M WITH THE
CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY
AND SOLUTIONS INTEGRATION. I
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK TO YOU TODAY, WE WILL BE
GOING THROUGH THE ITEMS ON THE
AGENDA AND WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL
OF TIME. SO WE'LL JUMP RIGHT IN.
I DO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND
COMMEND THE COLOSSUS PROJECT.
THEY COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL
MIGRATION TO THE SINGLE SOURCE
ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM FOR ALL 58
COUNTIES THIS PAST OCTOBER, A
TRULY MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT
MILESTONE IS A CULMINATION OF
FIVE YEARS OF DEDICATED EFFORT
BY THE COLOSSUS CONSORTIUM
PROJECT. THEIR VENDOR STAFF,
WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNTY'S
STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS AND
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. IN THE
AGENDA THAT ASKS HOW OTSI
DIRECTS, GOVERNS, AND OVERSEES
THE PLANNING AND THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF COLOSSUS. AND
WE DO THIS SEVERAL WAYS. WE ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STATE LEVEL
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT
OF COLOSSUS, AND THIS INCLUDES
ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT AS WELL
AS THE MANAGEMENT OF THE
TECHNICAL INDEPENDENT
VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION
SERVICES. OUR DIRECTOR SERVES AS
THE STATE EX-OFFICIO, WHICH IS A
NON-VOTING BOARD MEMBER
REPRESENTING OTSI, CDSS AND DCS
AT THE COLOSSUS JOINT POWERS
AUTHORITY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP
OF OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, BRANDON
HANSARD, OUR TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR OVERSEEING AND MONITORING,
AND WE PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS
COLOSSUS PROJECT TASKS AND
ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE THE
COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND
FEDERAL STANDARDS AND
REGULATIONS, AS WELL AS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BEST
PRACTICES. WE COLLABORATE WITH
OUR STATE SPONSORS, CDSS AND DCS
ON THE STRATEGIC OUTLOOK FOR
COLOSSUS, AND WE ACT AS A POINT
OF CONTACT FOR ALL PROJECT
ISSUES AT THE STATE LEVEL. WE'RE
THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR OUR
FEDERAL PARTNERS, CENTER FOR
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, AS WELL
AS FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE.
WE'RE ALSO THE POINT OF CONTACT
FOR YOUR STAFF, AS WELL AS THE
LAO, AND WE WORK WITH OUR STATE
AND FEDERAL SPONSORS ON VARIOUS
REVIEWS AND APPROVALS OF THE
MULTIPLE ADVANCE PLANNING
DOCUMENTS, CONTRACTS AND
PROCUREMENTS TO ENSURE BOTH
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE, PROJECT
APPROVAL, COMPLIANCE AND
ACCURACY, VALIDATION AND
ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION. AS
I MENTIONED, WE MANAGE THE THIRD
PARTY INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION
AND VALIDATION VENDOR PLAYS A
CRITICAL ROLE IN THE TECHNICAL
OVERSIGHT. WE MONITOR RISKS AND
ISSUES AND THE DEVIATIONS FROM
REQUIREMENTS, AND WE COLLABORATE
WITH THE COLOSSUS PROJECT AND
THE STATE SPONSORS TO ENSURE THE
NECESSARY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE
TAKEN SO THAT THE COLOSSUS
PROJECT CAN REMAIN ON SCHEDULE
AND WITHIN SCOPE TO MEET STATE
AND FEDERAL MANDATES. WE ALSO
PREPARE VARIOUS BUDGET DOCUMENTS
THAT YOU'LL LIKELY SEE
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING
COST ALLOCATION PLANS, PROMISE
DESCRIPTIONS, AND BCP'S THAT
REALLY REFLECT THE UNIQUE
BUDGETING REQUIREMENTS FOR CAL
SOURCE. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR
DEVELOPING THE CLAIMING
INSTRUCTIONS THAT THE COUNTIES
USE TO CLAIM COSTS, AND WE
ENSURE THAT THEY REFLECT STATE
AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AS WELL
AS PROJECT APPROVALS. WE ANALYZE
THOSE COUNTY CLAIMS, TRACK THE
EXPENDITURES, AND ALSO RECONCILE
THEM, AND THEN WE CAN PREPARE
TECHNICAL OR BUDGETARY BRIEFINGS
FOR THE VARIOUS ENTITIES WHEN
NECESSARY. AND AT THE STATE
LEVEL, WE MANAGE THE
ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS,
INCLUDING PURCHASING AND
PROCUREMENT AND BUDGETING AND
THINGS LIKE THAT. AND AT THIS
POINT, I THINK WE'RE READY TO
MOVE TO THE OVERVIEW OF THE
BUDGET, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT
OVER TO JOHN BOULET. GOOD
AFTERNOON, DOCTOR JACKSON. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. AND
MICROPHONE OVER. THANK YOU. MY
NAME IS JOHN BOULET. I AM THE
CURRENT CAL SA EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR AS MR. ZARETSKY SAYS,
COLOSSUS IS A JOINT POWERS
AUTHORITY MADE UP OF ALL 58 OF
OUR CALIFORNIA COUNTIES, AND THE
JPA WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR THE
SOLE PURPOSE OF THE DESIGN,
DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND
MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF
THE CAL SAU SYSTEM AND THE NEWLY
DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED PUBLIC
FACING PORTAL BENEFITS CAL. IN
PREVIOUS YEARS, MY TESTIMONY TO
BOTH THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE
HAS BEEN MAINLY FOCUSED ON THE
PROGRESS TOWARDS MIGRATING ALL
58 COUNTIES AND THE STATE TO CAL
SOURCE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,
AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF AND PUBLIC
ACCESS PORTAL BENEFITS. CAL. I'M
HAPPY TO ECHO MR. ZARETSKY, HIS
COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE
SUCCESSFULLY MIGRATED ALL THE
COUNTIES TO CAL SOURCE AND
BENEFITS CAL REDUCING THE NUMBER
OF SYSTEMS, IN THE STATE,
PROVIDING THAT CONSISTENCY. WE
ARE HEARTENED, THAT WE WERE ABLE
TO DO THIS PRIOR TO THE END OF
THE FEDERAL MANDATE. WHAT WAS
THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2023,
WHILE ALSO KEEPING UP WITH
LEGISLATIVE POLICY CHANGES AND
SUPPORTING OUR COUNTIES THROUGH
A GLOBAL PANDEMIC? CALIFORNIA
NOW HAS THE SINGLE LARGEST
INTEGRATED ELIGIBILITY HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICE SYSTEM IN THE
COUNTRY. QUITE POSSIBLY IN THE
WORLD, WITH A NEW PUBLIC FACING
ACCESS PORTAL BENEFITS CAL THAT
IS SERVING CALIFORNIA FAMILIES
HORROR IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE WHO
NEED TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR
THAT ASSISTANCE. MEDI-CAL,
CALFRESH, CALWORKS AND OTHER
HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS FURTHER
BENEFITS. CAL IS BEING LOOKED AT
FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND
THE COUNTRY AS A TRANSFER SYSTEM
OF CHOICE FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES PUBLIC PORTALS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY. I'M ALSO VERY
HUMBLED AND PROUD OF THE WORK
DONE BY OUR PROJECT TEAM,
INCLUSIVE OF OUR VENDORS. WE
CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. OUR
COUNTIES HAVE STEPPED UP DURING
CHALLENGING TIMES. THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN ARM IN
ARM WITH US AND OUR CONSUMER
ADVOCATES HAVE BEEN THERE EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY. THE MAJORITY OF
THE WORK TO ACHIEVE THESE
HISTORIC MILESTONES WAS WAS DONE
DURING THE PANDEMIC AND DURING
THE UNWINDING OF THE MEDI-CAL
CONTINUOUS COVERAGE PROVISIONS
FOR CAL, SAU AND OUR COUNTIES.
THE PANDEMIC BECAME A CATALYST
FOR DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
MR. ZARETSKY PROVIDED A PARTIAL
RESPONSE TO THE COMMITTEE'S
FIRST QUESTION ON THE AGENDA. I
WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE
CAL BUDGET FOR CAL BUDGET FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2425. THE TOTAL
BUDGET IS 346 MILLION. OF THAT
$300 MILLION. OF THAT, 87% IS
FOR GENERAL MAINTENANCE AND
OPERATIONS OF THE SYSTEM.
KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON, KEEPING
THINGS GOING, OPERATION FOR CAL
SAU INCLUDES HARDWARE, HARDWARE,
MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE. CLOUD
SERVICES WERE HOSTED ON THE AWS
PLATFORM. TECHNICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES SUCH AS
WIDE AREA NETWORKS, LOCAL AREA
NETWORKS, HELP DESK STAFFING,
THOSE HELP DESKS, ASSIST SYSTEM
PERFORMANCE MONITORING WERE A 24
OVER SEVEN SHOT SHOP, 365 DAYS A
YEAR MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF
THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE OUR COUNTIES
AND THE PUBLIC DEPEND ON THAT
SYSTEM, SO 87% ARE THOSE FIXED
COSTS FROM LEGAL SERVICES TO
QUALITY ASSURANCE SERVICES AND
JUST THE FACILITIES THAT OUR
PEOPLE SIT IN, THE REMAINING 46
MILLION, OR ABOUT 13% OF THE
TOTAL BUDGET BUDGET,
ACCOMMODATES SYSTEM CHANGE. NOW,
IF WE TAKE THAT $46 BILLION,
17.5 MILLION 5% IS LIMITED TO
CLIENT CORRESPONDENCE
ENHANCEMENTS. SO YOU TALKED IN
AN EARLIER AGENDA ITEM ABOUT
LANGUAGE EQUITY. AS THESE
TRANSLATIONS COME FROM THE
DEPARTMENT COMING DOWN, THEY
HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE
SYSTEM. SO WHEN AN ACTION TAKES
PLACE IN A CASE, THEY TRIGGER
THEM AND THE APPROPRIATE
LANGUAGES, BENEFITS CAL PORTAL
MOBILE ENHANCEMENTS AS THEY COME
IN AND GOOD IDEAS COME IN. AND
THEN OUR CAL HIRES INTERFACE
PARTNERS WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH
BENEFIT EXCHANGE, IN ACCORDANCE
WITH. AND ALL OF THIS IS IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCOPE THAT
HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE
AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
APPROXIMATELY $28.6 MILLION OF
THAT TOTAL BUDGET, 8% WILL BE
UTILIZED FOR OTHER CHANGES,
INCLUDING REOCCURRING POLICY
CHANGES. IF THERE'S A COST OF
LIVING ADJUSTMENT RATE TABLE
CHANGES, THOSE THINGS HAVE TO
GET PUT INTO THE SYSTEM. THEY
HAVE TO GET TESTED. WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE RIGHT. SO
THE BENEFITS ARE ARE TIMELY IN
THE AGENDA, THEY'RE THERE'S A
THE COMMITTEE'S QUESTION ON
POINT OF CONTACT TO PROBLEM
SOLVE IN RESPONSE TO ISSUES THAT
CONSUMER ADVOCATES HAVE RAISED,
I'LL LET THE ADMINISTRATION
ANSWER FOR THEMSELVES. BUT FOR
CAL SORES, I AM THE POINT THAT
IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. AS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NOW, WE HAVE
TAKEN, STEPS OVER THE LAST YEAR
TO APPOINT A FULL TIME RESOURCE.
LYNN BRIDWELL, AN EXECUTIVE, TO
BE ABLE TO STEP INTO THAT ROLE
AND TAKE ON THAT CHALLENGING
DUTY, BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY MANY
ACCESS CHANNELS THAT WE HAVE TO
COORDINATE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE
DON'T FALL INTO OUR OWN SILOS,
THAT WE COMMUNICATE ACROSS THOSE
SILOS. THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE
PROJECT AT, AS OUTLINED IN OUR
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO THE
LEGISLATURE THAT CAME IN, I
WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT FORUMS THAT WE HAVE
THAT ARE PUBLIC IN NATURE, BUT
WE ARE DO HAVE VERY MANY PUBLIC
FORUMS THAT ARE, CONSUMER
ADVOCATES ARE PRIVY TO AND VERY
MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO
MEET WITH THOSE. WE DO HAVE TO
OPTIMIZE THOSE. WE HAVE MADE
GREAT STRIDES AS OUTLINED IN THE
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. WE STILL
HAVE SOME WORK, TO BE ABLE TO DO
TO OPTIMIZE THOSE. BUT WE'RE
PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE
DONE, TOGETHER ON THAT. AND WITH
THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY
COLLEAGUE, MR. RYAN GILLETTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS
RYAN GILLETTE. I'M THE CHIEF
DATA OFFICER AND THE DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OVER THE RESEARCH,
AUTOMATION AND DATA DIVISION AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES. I WANT TO START MY
TESTIMONY BY ECHOING THE
SENTIMENT OF JOHN AND STEVE AND
CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF WHAT
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE WITH
CAL SAU, BETWEEN THE CONSORTIUM
AND THE ADMINISTRATION. IT'S A
TREMENDOUS LIFT TO MIGRATE ALL
58 COUNTIES ONTO A SINGLE SYSTEM
. AND THE PROJECT WAS ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH THIS ON TIME, ON
BUDGET, AND WITHOUT ANY MAJOR
ISSUES ALONG THE WAY, AS I'M
SURE YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR, THIS
IS NOT THE NORM FOR MOST MAJOR
IT PROJECTS, AND SO THE FACT
THAT THIS TRANSITION HAS GONE AS
SMOOTHLY AS IT HAS SHOULD REALLY
ABOUT TO SAY, STOP LYING. SO
THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. SOMETIMES WE
GET A WIN AND YOU LYING TO US.
NO, BUT THAT'S I MEAN, IT SAYS A
LOT TO THE LEADERSHIP OF JOHN
AND THE AND THE GREAT TEAM THAT
WE'VE HAD ALONG THE WAY, SO I DO
WANT TO BUILD ON SOME OF THE
POINTS RAISED EARLIER BY JOHN
AND STEVE. FIRST, I WANT TO
SHARE MORE ABOUT HOW THE
ADMINISTRATION ENGAGES WITH
ADVOCATES TO ADDRESS THE
QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO CAL SAU
WHEN THEY COME UP, SO THERE ARE
MANY DIFFERENT CDSS AND DCS
PROGRAM AREAS THAT HAVE AN
INTERSECTION WITH CAL SAU,
EITHER AS A PROGRAM THAT IS
DIRECTLY MANAGED THROUGH CAL
SAU, OR ONE THAT INTERFACES WITH
CAL SAU IN SOME CAPACITY. EACH
OF THESE PROGRAMS HAS A UNIQUE
SET OF ADVOCATES AND
STAKEHOLDERS, WITH QUESTIONS
THAT PERTAIN SPECIFICALLY TO
THOSE POLICY AREAS, AND AS A
RESULT, WE RELY ON OUR
INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM AREAS TO
SERVE AS THAT INITIAL POINT OF
CONTACT AND TRIAGE, FOR
QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP. IF
AN ITEM IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED
TO AUTOMATION WITHIN CAL SAU.
THEY WILL BE FILTERED EITHER TO
MY TEAM OR TO OTSI, WHO WILL
ENSURE THAT THE THOSE ISSUES ARE
THEN RAISED IN THE PROPER FORUMS
WITH CAL SORS. SO BRANDON
HANSARD, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY,
BUT AS STEVE MENTIONED, IS THE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OVER THE
PROJECT. I'M ON ÖTZI PERSPECTIVE
IS THE PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT
FOR THOSE SORTS OF QUESTIONS
WHEN HIS NAME IS BRIAN BRANDON
HANSARD, BRANDON HANSARD.
HANSARD YEAH. WE CAN WE'LL WE'LL
SEND YOU A NOTE. JUST CONTACT
HIM. OKAY. FANTASTIC. IN
ADDITION TO THAT, ADVOCATES ALSO
DO HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP
WITH CAL SAWS AND FREQUENTLY
REACH OUT TO CAL SAW'S
LEADERSHIP TO ELEVATE CONCERNS,
WHEN THEY MAY COME UP. THIS IS A
VALUABLE LINE OF COMMUNICATION
THAT HAS HELPED THE
ADMINISTRATION AND THE PROJECT
IDENTIFY PROBLEMS AND WORK
QUICKLY TO CORRECT THEM WHEN
THEY WHEN THEY HAVE ARISED,
REGARDING FUNCTIONALITY, DATA.
MOVING ON TO ONE OF THE LATER
QUESTIONS, METRICS ABOUT
BENEFITS CAL UTILIZATION ARE
SHARED IN VARIOUS PROJECT AND
STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND ARE
POSTED ON THE WEBSITE. WITH THE
INITIAL LAUNCH AND MIGRATION
COMPLETED, WE CAN DEFINITELY
LOOK AT ADDING ADDITIONAL
METRICS TO THIS, SUCH AS SOME OF
THE ONES THAT WERE LISTED IN THE
AGENDA. IT IS A SHARED GOAL THAT
THE TRANSITION TO CAL SAU AND
LAUNCH OF BENEFITS CAL STATEWIDE
IS SUCCESSFUL BOTH FOR CLIENTS
AND COUNTIES, AND DATA WILL PLAY
AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING US
ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. A KEY ISSUE
WILL BE DETERMINING WHO IS THE
RIGHT ENTITY TO PRODUCE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFORMATION.
METRICS REGARDING THE TECHNICAL
OPERATION OF CAL SAWS AND
BENEFITS, CAL SYSTEM WOULD
PROBABLY MAKE MORE SENSE TO BE
PRODUCED AND HOSTED BY CAL
SWORDS. WHILE PROGRAMMATIC
INFORMATION RELATED TO CASELOAD
MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE TO HAVE
PRODUCED AND HOSTED BY THE
ADMINISTRATION, AS WE THINK
ABOUT SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL
METRICS, THE ADMINISTRATION AND
CAL SAWS WILL WORK WITH COUNTIES
AND ADVOCATES AND OTHER
INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS TO
DETERMINE WHAT METRICS COULD BE
FEASIBLE AND HOW TO DEFINE THEM
IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM BOTH
RELEVANT AND ACTIONABLE. SOME OF
THE METRICS PROPOSED COULD BE
RELATIVELY EASY. COULD BE
PRODUCED RELATIVELY EASILY, BUT
OTHERS, SUCH AS FOR EXAMPLE, AN
END TO END TIMELINE TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION MIGHT BE FEASIBLE TO
PRODUCE. BUT GIVEN THE VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS PEOPLE
COULD BE APPLYING, APPLYING FOR,
AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE MAY CHOOSE IN THE MIDDLE
OF THEIR APPLICATION TO PAUSE
AND GO DO SOMETHING ELSE, IT IT
MIGHT BE HARD TO DERIVE A LOT OF
MEANING FROM THAT, SO WE WOULD
NEED TO SPEND SOME ADDITIONAL
TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW TO
DEFINE THAT IN SUCH A WAY THAT
WE CAN ACTUALLY GET SOME USEFUL,
PRODUCTIVE VALUE OUT OF IT. AND
THEN FINALLY, THERE MAY JUST BE
OTHER MEASURES THAT WE SIMPLY DO
NOT HAVE. THE DATA, TO PRODUCE.
FINALLY, THERE IS A QUESTION
REGARDING DENIAL RATES, SO THE
STATE HAS PRODUCED DATA ON THE
AVERAGE DENIAL RATES BY CAL
WORKS AND CAL FRESH FOR CALENDAR
YEAR 2023, MORE RECENT DATA IS
STILL UNDERGOING REVIEW, SO WE
DON'T HAVE THAT AVAILABLE JUST
YET, FOR CAL WORKS, THE DENIAL
RATE FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 56% AND
60, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 58. FOR
HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THE DENIAL
RATE HAS RANGED FROM A LOW OF
ABOUT 45% IN FISCAL YEAR 2017
2018, AND HAS WITNESSED A SLOW
BUT STEADY INCREASE OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WITH NO
SIGNIFICANT ONE TIME JUMPS, WITH
CAL FRESH, THE DENIAL RATE
FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 39% AND 45,
WITH AN AVERAGE OF 42% IN
CALENDAR YEAR 2023. SIMILARLY
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE
ALSO HAVE SEEN A SLOW INCREASE
IN THAT DENIAL RATE. I DO THINK
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
DENIAL RATES IN ISOLATION MAY
NOT PAINT A COMPLETE PICTURE OF
WHAT IS HAPPENING, I THINK IT'S
ALSO IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER
WHETHER APPLICATIONS ARE
ACTUALLY BEING CORRECTLY
DETERMINED. SO MAYBE WHAT WE
WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT IS THE
RATE AT WHICH PEOPLE WHO
ACTUALLY ARE ELIGIBLE ARE
APPROPRIATELY DEEMED ELIGIBLE,
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY
INELIGIBLE ARE APPROPRIATELY
DEEMED INELIGIBLE, SO MORE TO
THINK ABOUT AROUND THAT. I'M
GOING TO STOP THERE, BUT HAPPY
TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. JENNIFER
TRACY WITH THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR AND COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK TODAY, FIRST, I DO WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE ADVANCEMENTS
THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE LAST
YEAR'S HEARINGS. OVERALL, THE
PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BECOME
INCREASINGLY COLLABORATIVE AND
COMMUNICATION FEEDBACK LOOPS ARE
MORE CONSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTED.
THE PROJECT, DESIGNATED A POINT
OF CONTACT, AS I MENTIONED, FOR
ADVOCATES GROUP, WHICH HAS
SUPPORTED MANY OF THOSE
IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE ALSO
GRATEFUL TO CS AND DCS STAFF FOR
THEIR WORK IN SUPPORTING
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND
FURTHER EFFORTS TO ELEVATE
CONSUMER NEEDS WITHIN POLICY
GUIDANCE, SO REFLECTING SOME OF
THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE
AGENDA, OUR COMMENTS TODAY
SUMMARIZE THREE ISSUES THAT WE
HOPE CAN BE PRIORITIZED FOR
FURTHER SUPPORT AND ALIGNMENT
WITH THE REQUIREMENT AND THE
WELFARE INSTITUTIONS CODE TO
MINIMIZE THE BURDEN OF THE
ELIGIBILITY PROCESS FOR CLIENTS
AND ELIGIBILITY. WORKERS AND TO
ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE
PROCESS OF DEVELOPING
TECHNOLOGY. ADVOCATES HAVE
EXPERIENCED THAT IT'S OFTEN
STRUCTURED TO DELIVER ON A SET
OF PREDEFINED REQUIREMENTS, WITH
THE INTENTION THAT WHATEVER IS
DELIVERED WILL MEET THE INTENDED
PURPOSE, AND ONCE THE
FUNCTIONALITY IS DELIVERED, THE
PROVERBIAL BOX IS CHECKED AND
THE VENDOR GETS THEIR PAYMENT
AND THAT FUNCTIONALITY GOES OUT
TO THE PUBLIC. HOWEVER, SIMPLY
CHECKING A BOX ON REQUIREMENTS
IS INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THE
GOALS OF EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT
SERVICE DELIVERY. TAKE, FOR
EXAMPLE, THE TRANSLATION OF THE
BENEFITS CAL WEBSITE INTO
SPANISH. THE REQUIREMENT TO
TRANSLATE THE WEBSITE WAS MET.
HOWEVER, THE APPLICATION ASKS IF
SOMEONE IS FACING EVICTION TO
SEE IF THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR
EMERGENCY SERVICES TO PREVENT
HOMELESSNESS, AND THE WORD IS
TRANSLATED AS EVICTION, WHICH
ACTUALLY MEANS THE LOSS OF TITLE
TO A PROPERTY. THE CORRECT WORD
IN SPANISH IS DESA HÌ.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS AFFECTS THE
EXPERIENCES OF LOW INCOME
CALIFORNIANS WHO ARE ATTEMPTING
TO NAVIGATE THE WEBSITE WHICH
THE REQUIREMENTS WERE MET, OFTEN
WITH LOWER LITERACY LEVELS AND
OTHER BARRIERS. WE'RE ADVOCATING
FOR A BRIDGE IN THE GAP BETWEEN
MEETING A REQUIREMENT AND THE
FUNCTIONALITY BASED ON THAT
REQUIREMENT, MEETING THE
INTENDED PURPOSE FOR WHY IT WAS
CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT
THIS GOAL, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR
SECOND RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE
MEANINGFUL METRICS ON THE
FUNCTIONALITY OF BENEFITS. CAL
YES, THE CAL SOARS PROJECT
WEBSITE DOES PUBLISH SOME DATA,
HOWEVER, MOST OF WHAT IS
AVAILABLE DOES NOT INCLUDE
CONTEXT TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE
OF WHAT IS SHARED. FOR EXAMPLE,
WE KNOW FROM THE WEBSITE THAT
THERE WERE 3.8 MILLION ACCOUNTS
CREATED, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR IF
THOSE NUMBERS DEMONSTRATE
SUCCESS OR CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
THE WEBSITE WAS LAUNCHED OVER
TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, AND
WE'RE STILL UNABLE TO MAKE
INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE
ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES, WHICH
WE KNOW ARE INCREASINGLY LIMITED
BECAUSE CRITICAL INFORMATION
ABOUT HOW THE WEBSITE FUNCTIONS
LIKE WHERE ARE PEOPLE GETTING
STUCK? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO
FINISH AN APPLICATION, IS STILL
NOT PROVIDED TO KEY DECISION
MAKERS, INCLUDING STATE
DEPARTMENTS, AND THIS VERY
COMMITTEE. LASTLY, WHEN WE HAVE
IDENTIFIED CONCERNS RELATED TO
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WELFARE
AND INSTITUTIONS CODE 108 23.1
THROUGH THREE, WE'VE KIND OF HAD
TO GUESS AT WHERE TO ELEVATE
THESE CONCERNS, OR WE'VE BEEN
UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANYONE WITHIN
THE FUNDED STATE DEPARTMENTS TO
HELP US ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE PROJECT'S COMPLIANCE
WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY. THE
ADVOCATE COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES
THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BENEFITS
CAL AND THE MIGRATION OF
COUNTIES HAS HAS REALLY FOCUSED
ON MAKING SURE SOME KEY
DEADLINES WERE MET. AND WE'RE
REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
SUCCESSFUL MIGRATION. HOWEVER,
AS THE PROJECT MOVES TO THE
MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS PHASE
OF THE WORK, IT MAKES SENSE EVEN
MORE NOW TO SHIFT TO
IMPLEMENTING TRANSPARENT EFFORTS
TO COORDINATE POLICY DEVELOPMENT
WITH TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES TO
MEASURE OUTCOMES FOR
BENEFICIARIES. USING THESE
TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, AND TO
CONTINUE MATURING OUR
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH CLEAR
FEEDBACK LOOPS AND RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES. KNOWING THAT
BENEFICIARY SUCCESS IS THE
PURPOSE OF WHY WE'RE ALL HERE.
LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS NEED AND
DESERVE TO HAVE TECHNOLOGY THAT
DOESN'T JUST CHECK A BOX SO A
VENDOR CAN MAKE MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BUT ALSO
ALLOWS THEM TO ACCESS THE
SERVICES AS INTENDED AND
ENVISIONED. THEY DESERVE TO HAVE
A FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEM OF
DECISION MAKERS THAT VALUE
NAVIGATING THE INTEGRATED AND
OVERLAPPING ROLES BETWEEN
BENEFICIARIES, ADVOCATES,
COUNTIES AND STATE DEPARTMENTS,
AND BETWEEN POLICY, TECHNOLOGY
AND USER EXPERIENCES. THANK YOU
TO THE CHAIR AND THE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS FOR VALUING THE SORT OF
WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD
CONVERSATION IN SUPPORT OF
IMPROVING BENEFICIARY OUTCOMES.
AND THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT
STAFF AND PROJECT STAFF WHO'VE
BEEN PART OF OUR SHARED LEARNING
PROCESS TO MEET THE GOALS THAT
WERE SET FORTH BY THE
LEGISLATURE IN THE WELFARE AND
INSTITUTIONS CODE. GOOD
AFTERNOON. EILEEN KAMINSKY WITH
THE COUNTY WELFARE DIRECTORS
ASSOCIATION. I'LL KEEP MY
REMARKS RELATIVELY BRIEF, NOT A
LOT TO ADD TO ALL OF THE GREAT
TESTIMONY THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED
SO FAR, WE'LL ALSO PILE ON,
THOUGH, TO THE VICTORY LAP THAT
EVERYONE'S BEEN TAKING. I NEVER
PERSONALLY HAD ANY DOUBT THAT
THIS WOULD, THE MIGRATION WOULD
OCCUR SUCCESSFULLY AND ON TIME
AND ON BUDGET, HAVE LOTS OF
CONFIDENCE IN OUR CONSORTIA,
STAFF, OUR COUNTY STAFF AND OUR
STATE AND ADVOCATE PARTNERS TO
GET THIS DONE. SO BUT IT IS IT
IS PRETTY REMARKABLE TO BE
HONEST. AND THAT IT ALL HAPPENED
IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC AND WITH RELATIVELY FEW
HICCUPS. IT REALLY IS A
TESTAMENT TO EVERYONE'S HARD
WORK. AND SO I DID JUST WANT TO
JUST WANT TO PILE ON THE PRAISE
AND, AND TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE
VICTORY LAP BECAUSE IT'S A
REALLY IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENT,
OUR COUNTY'S FOCUS IS TO GET
BENEFITS AND SERVICES TO
ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS. AND TO DO
THIS, WE NEED OUR SYSTEMS TO
WORK FOR THE WORKERS WHO ARE
PROVIDING DIRECT CUSTOMER
SERVICE. AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE
TO PRIORITIZE THE CHANGES THAT
WILL BE THE MOST IMPACTFUL. EVEN
IN GOOD BUDGET TIMES. WE'RE
NEVER IN A POSITION TO HAVE
EVERY CHANGE ANYONE MIGHT WANT
BE IMPLEMENTED, INCLUDING OUR
OWN COUNTY WORKERS. BUT AS WE
ENTER MORE CHALLENGING BUDGET
YEARS, BEING ABLE TO FOCUS ON
THE CHANGES THAT WILL HAVE THE
MOST IMPACT ON IMPROVING OVERALL
SERVICES WILL GIVE US THE BEST
RESULTS FROM THE AVAILABLE FUNDS
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, THE
PROGRAMS COUNTIES ADMINISTER
HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY
COMPLEX, AND OUR AUTOMATION MORE
SOPHISTICATED. COUNTIES HAVE
INTRODUCED NEW ACCESS CHANNELS,
INCLUDING ONLINE CUSTOMER
PORTALS AND TELEPHONE SERVICE
CENTERS, AND EXPERIMENTED WITH
MANY OTHER INNOVATIONS SUCH AS
LOBBY MANAGEMENT, ADVANCED
IMAGING TECHNOLOGY AND
INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE
SYSTEMS. NOW THAT MIGRATION IS
COMPLETE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUING TO PURSUE INNOVATION
INNOVATIONS THAT CAN IMPROVE
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LEVERAGE
TECHNOLOGY TO ALLOW WORKERS TO
FOCUS MORE ON CUSTOMER
INTERACTIONS. I DO WANT TO
REITERATE, THOUGH, THAT THESE
ARE COMPLICATED PROGRAMS WITH
COMPLEX RULES AND AUTOMATED
THÀNH CAN ONLY ACCOMPLISH SO
MUCH WITH RESPECT TO SIMPLIFYING
THE CONSUMER AND WORKER
EXPERIENCE WITH THOSE PROGRAMS
AND APPLICATIONS AND
COMPLEXITIES. SO WE SHOULD
ABSOLUTELY BE LEVERAGING OUR
SYSTEMS, AND LOOK FORWARD TO
FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION ON ON HOW
WE IMPROVE OUR METRICS, HOW WE
IMPROVE OUR FUNCTIONALITY AND
WANT TO KEEP IN MIND TO THAT.
THESE ARE COMPLICATED PROGRAMS
BY DESIGN AND LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUED POLICY ENGAGEMENT
AMONG ALL OF US WITH GOALS OF
SIMPLIFYING ACCESS AND
SIMPLIFYING THE ABILITY FOR OUR
CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS TO TAP
INTO THESE, TO TAP INTO THESE
PROGRAMS AND NEEDED BENEFITS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME,
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. NOTHING
FURTHER TO ADD, BUT HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. LEO BRIAN
METZGER. LEO, THE SUPPLEMENTAL
REPORT LANGUAGE APPROVED LAST
YEAR PROVIDES FOR A FINAL
UPDATED REPORT FROM THE
ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER
PARTNERS ON CAL SAU STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT BY THE END OF THE
CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. GIVEN THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ADVOCATE
STAKEHOLDERS LISTED IN THE
AGENDA, WE RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE REQUEST A FINAL
REPORT THAT NOT ONLY UPDATES THE
JANUARY REPORT, BUT RESPONDS TO
THE ADVOCATE STAKEHOLDER
RECOMMENDATIONS. OUR
RECOMMENDATION IS CONSISTENT
WITH LEGISLATIVE INTENT IN THE
S.R.L. THAT REQUESTS THE
ADMINISTRATION AND CAL SAU
IMPROVE THEIR PROCESSES FOR
SOLICITING AND INTEGRATING
FEEDBACK AND INPUT FROM
STAKEHOLDERS INTO THE
PRIORITIZATION OF ENHANCEMENTS
TO THE PUBLIC FACING ELEMENTS OF
CAL SAU LIKE BENEFITS CAL.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE FISCAL
PRESSURE FACING THE STATE, WE
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE FINAL
REPORT MUST CONSIDER OTHER
FACTORS AS WELL, SUCH AS THE
LEVEL OF EXISTING PROJECT
FUNDING AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE,
AS WELL AS EXISTING COMMITMENTS
FOR AUTOMATION OF POLICY
CHANGES. TO THE EXTENT ANY OF
THE RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRE
ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND OR
POSITIONS TO ADOPT, WE RECOMMEND
THE LEGISLATURE REQUEST THIS
CONTEXT AS PART OF THE FINAL
REPORT. ANY UPDATES TO PROJECT
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS COULD BE
CONSIDERED BASED ON THE FINAL
REPORT, INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE,
WHETHER OR NOT ADVOCATE
STAKEHOLDERS RECOMMENDATIONS
HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AND THOSE
UPDATES COULD BE INCORPORATED
INTO OTHER LANGUAGE LIKE
PROVISIONAL BUDGET BILL
LANGUAGE. HAPPY TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS
HERE. NUMBER ONE, ARE THERE
STILL ANY BUGS THAT NEED TO BE
WORKED OUT IN THE SYSTEM? MR.
CHAIR, I WOULD SAY YES. THERE'S
STILL, DEFECTS THAT COME UP
EVERY SINGLE DAY. SOME OF MOST
OF THOSE ARE MINOR ITEMS THAT WE
FIND THAT MIGHT BE SPECIFIC TO A
DATA ISSUE OR SOMETHING ELSE
WITH THE SYSTEM THAT'S
CONTINUALLY PART OF THE
MAINTENANCE PROCESS OF THE
SYSTEM, TO SEE WHAT A WORKER
EXPERIENCES, WHAT THE DATA IS,
CAN WE RECREATE THAT AND
ACTUALLY RECTIFY THAT SO THAT
SERVICES CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE
CUSTOMER. SO SITTING HERE,
ABSOLUTELY, THERE ARE STILL BUGS
AS WE DO CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM.
SOMETIMES WE INTRODUCE BUGS AND
WE HAVE TO QUICKLY FIX THOSE. SO
YES THERE ARE. AND THAT'S PART
OF THE CONTINUAL PROCESS AND
MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TO BE
ABLE TO RECTIFY THOSE. I
CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND MY FACEBOOK
PAGE WAS JUST MESSED UP FOR A
WHILE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO
CALL, YOU KNOW. OKAY ANYWAY, IT
SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THESE
CONCERNS FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS
SEEM PRETTY RELEVANT IN TERMS OF
ENSURING THAT IF WE'RE INVESTING
SO MUCH MONEY THAT WE CAN
ACTUALLY GET SOME GOOD DATA OUT
OF IT, AND THAT COULD ACTUALLY
LEAD TO EVEN GREATER INNOVATION
OR A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT OUR WHAT THE POPULATION MAY
BE FACING, THE NEEDS THAT THEY
MAY HAVE, CERTAINLY IS THERE,
HOW OFTEN DO YOU KIND OF BRING
STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO KIND OF
SEE THE POTENTIAL OF, OF 2.0,
3.0 SOURCE. RIGHT, OR EVEN SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT COULD BE
HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, ON THE
GROUND TODAY. ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT
THAT? YEAH, I'D SAY INTERACTIONS
HAPPEN WEEKLY. THERE IS, FORUMS
THAT ARE LED BY CSPS THAT HAPPEN
QUARTERLY AND THEN BY THE
PROJECT THAT HAPPENED QUARTERLY
TO PRIORITIZE, CHANGE. I AGREE
WITH WHAT MR. GILLETTE LAID OUT,
THAT WE ARE OPEN TO EXPLORING
THOSE, ADDITIONAL METRICS AGREE
WITH THE INTENT OF THE
ADDITIONAL METRICS. AS STATED,
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHO IS
THE OWNER OF THOSE METRICS? AND
WHERE DO THEY COME FROM, IS IT A
DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE MEASURE?
IS IT A PROGRAM MEASURE? IS IT
AN OPERATIONS OF A COUNTY? WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T
HAVE DUELING DATA, AND THAT WE
HAVE THE RIGHT MEASURES BY THE
RIGHT OWNERS OF THAT DATA TO BE
ABLE TO GIVE MEANINGFUL
INFORMATION ON PROGRAM AS WELL
AS SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. I THINK
THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE PUT OUT
THERE, SHOW THE SYSTEM
PERFORMANCE. BUT I AGREE WITH
MISS TRACY. WE COULD DO MORE AND
WE NEED TO DO MORE TO BE ABLE TO
WORK TOGETHER. SO WE'RE OPEN
WITH WORKING WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION, OUR COUNTY
PARTNERS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS TO
CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT AND TO
SEE WHAT OTHER METRICS NEED TO
BE BROUGHT AND WHETHER THEY'RE
PROGRAMMATIC OR WHETHER THEY'RE
TECHNOLOGY, METRICS THAT NEED TO
BE BROUGHT FORTH, IS THERE ANY
PLANS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
ASSEMBLY ON THE SENATE FOR WITH
A FINAL REPORT? WERE YOU ALREADY
PLANNING ON DOING THAT, WE WOULD
WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON
THAT. IF THAT IS AN EXPECTATION
TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. I'M
WONDERING, HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU
ALREADY SEEN IT AS AN
EXPECTATION OR IN IN THE
PREVIOUS HEARING, WE HAD ON THE
SENATE, THEY DID RAISE IT AS AN
EXPECTATION. OKAY AND SO WHEN WE
LOOK AT THAT, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE
APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO THAT. DO
YOU THINK, IS THERE A WHEN DO
YOU THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO
A HAVE A FINAL REPORT? ANY
THOUGHTS I MIGHT PROPOSE, SINCE
WE DID ONLY RECENTLY SUBMIT THE
LATEST S.R.L. MAYBE WE PUSH IT
OUT A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE HAVE
SOME TIME TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF
THE FEEDBACK THAT HAS BEEN
RECOMMENDED THAT CAME OUT OF THE
RESPONSE THAT WE GOT. SO WE CAN
ACTUALLY HOPEFULLY SHOW A LITTLE
BIT MORE PROGRESS ON WHAT'S BEEN
ACCOMPLISHED, BUT OBVIOUSLY
HAPPY TO DEFER TO YOUR
PREFERENCES. WHAT'S A REASONABLE
TIMELINE? SIX MONTHS, 12 MONTHS,
12 MONTHS? OH YOU'RE GETTING A
LITTLE AGGRESSIVE THERE, WELL,
LET'S THINK ABOUT IT. WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE TALK ABOUT
MAKING SURE THIS WILL BE GOOD TO
ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, CONCLUDE ONE
PART AND THEN SO THAT WE CAN
MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO
MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME
PAGE, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, I'M
LOOKING AT ALL THE WHAT, ALL THE
SUPPORTS, AND AUTOMATION THAT
SOLS PROVIDES IN TERMS OF CAL
WORKS, CAL FRESH, MEDI-CAL,
FOSTER CARE, A WHOLE HOST OF
THINGS. WHEN CAN WE GET THEM TO
REALLY WHEN CAN WE GET TO THAT
POINT WHERE WE CREATE A NO WRONG
DOOR PROCESS HERE? I WALK INTO
THE OFFICE AND I, I FIND OUT
THAT I QUALIFY FOR CAL WORKS AND
CALFRESH AND MEDI-CAL, AND I CAN
BE ENROLLED. I DON'T THINK THAT
THAT IS AN AUTOMATION QUESTION.
I ACTUALLY THINK THAT IS A
POLICY QUESTION, BECAUSE POLICY
SHOULD DRIVE THE AUTOMATION AND
THE CHANGES TO GO FROM THAT. AND
I THINK HOLISTICALLY, WE HAVE TO
BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE POLICY.
AND DOES IT ALLOW NO WRONG DOOR
AND MAKING SURE THAT THE
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS THAT AS, AS
WE GO FORWARD AND THE COUNTY
OPERATIONS ARE FUNDED TO BE ABLE
TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S NO WRONG
DOOR, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
EXPECTATION. THÀNH, AND THOSE
GATEWAYS, THAT MIGHT BE AFFORDED
FROM TECHNOLOGY IN A POLICY. AND
I THINK THAT, THE SAWS AND THE
STATE HAS REALLY, PRIORITIZED
AND, PUSHING AUTOMATION AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE TO NOT BE, THE
BARRIER IN THE DOOR, I THINK,
THOUGH, THE CHALLENGE GETS BACK
TO SOME DEGREE TO WHAT I WAS
ALLUDING TO IN MY TESTIMONY,
WHICH IS THAT THESE ARE SILOED
PROGRAMS THAT COME TO US LARGELY
FROM THE FEDS, BUT IN SOME CASES
AT THE STATE LEVEL, TOO. AND
WE'VE DONE A BETTER JOB AS A
STATE, I THINK, OF TRYING TO
BREAK DOWN THOSE SILOS, BUT
THEY'RE COMPLICATED RULES THAT
DIFFER FROM PROGRAM TO PROGRAM,
WHERE WE HAVE LIMITED ABILITY TO
ALIGN, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
ELIGIBILITY AND THAT THAT LEADS
TO CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF BEING
ABLE TO SIMPLIFY AND STREAMLINE
THE ABILITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO
WALK IN THE DOOR AND GET A QUICK
ASSESSMENT DONE FOR THEIR
ELIGIBILITY FOR, YOU KNOW, HALF
A DOZEN PROGRAMS. SO,
ABSOLUTELY. SOMETHING AT THE TOP
OF OUR COUNTY DIRECTORS
PRIORITIES TO SIMPLIFY THESE
RULES AND REQUIREMENTS AS MUCH
AS WE CAN. AND I KNOW THE STATE
SHARES THAT GOAL, AND WE
CONTINUALLY TRY TO PUSH IT AS
MUCH AS WE CAN AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL WHERE WE NEED TO AS WELL
TO HAVE THOSE RULES BE
SIMPLIFIED SO THAT WE CAN ALIGN
OUR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND
STREAMLINE THAT EXPERIENCE. HOW
CAN THE LEGISLATURE BE HELPFUL?
WELL, I THINK I WANT TO ECHO
EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST SAID
THERE. AND AGAIN, I THINK PART
OF THE CHALLENGE IS AUTOMATION
CAN ONLY GET US HALF, HALF THE
WAY. AND WE DO NEED SOME CHANGES
TO, STATUTE AND POLICY THAT
WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO ALIGN
THE ELIGIBILITY OF THESE
PROGRAMS, STATE OR FEDERAL OR
SOME OF THAT IS STATE. SOME OF
THAT IS FEDERAL. I THINK WE NEED
TO COME BACK WITH MORE OF AN
ANALYSIS OF WHAT THAT COULD LOOK
LIKE. BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS
WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK WE
WOULD BE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING
BECAUSE IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR
OUR CLIENTS. SO I'M GOING TO ASK
LAO TO HELP US WITH CREATING
SOME TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE TO
MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S
ANYTHING ON THE STATE SIDE THAT
IS PROHIBITING THIS FROM
HAPPENING, THAT WE, HAVE,
DIRECTION TO MAKING SURE THAT WE
GET THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE
NEED LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
ON HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE
ARE NO STATE BARRIERS FOR
AUTOMATION. THÀNH I THINK IF WE
GET THERE, THEN WE CAN WORK ON
THE FEDERAL GOD HELP US ALL.
OKAY I MEAN, WE JUST GOT I KNOW
THAT I KNOW THIS IS COMPLEX,
RIGHT, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S
ANYTHING BUT COMPLEX ISSUES LEFT
OUT, SO IT'S TIME TO START
DIGGING, RIGHT, YOU'VE MADE THIS
PHENOMENAL, PROJECT HAPPEN,
CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO BE PROUD
OF, NOW, LET'S GET EVERYTHING WE
CAN GET OUT OF THIS BABY RIGHT.
AND IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE'RE
DOING AS A LEGISLATURE THAT'S
PROHIBITING THAT FROM FULLY
HAPPENING, CERTAINLY WE NEED TO
TAKE CARE OF THAT. WE JUST NEED
TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, AND THEN
IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN
CERTAINLY WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE
SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS. BUT MAN,
IF WE CAN MAKE THIS THING. OH
BEFORE YOU GUYS RETIRE, WHAT DO
YOU THINK? I HOPE NOT BEFORE.
WELL, PEOPLE ARE LAUGHING
BECAUSE I HAVE ONLY TWO MORE
WEEKS BEFORE I RETIRE. THAT'S
WHY YOU'RE SAYING YES TO
EVERYTHING. YOU WON'T EVEN BE
HERE. MY. MY SUCCESSOR IS IN THE
AUDIENCE, AND I KNOW SHE IS
HIGHLY QUALIFIED TO BE ABLE TO
DO THAT AND HAS BEEN SAYING YES.
OKAY. OH, OKAY I SEE. THANK YOU.
JULIA OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I FEEL
COMFORTABLE NOW, LET'S SEE. IS
THERE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE I
MESS EVERYTHING UP? TWO. TWO.
TWO. TWO. ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED
TO RESPOND TO? ANYTHING ELSE YOU
HAVE TO YOUR WISDOM. SO MUCH WAS
SAID, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE IF WE
CAN GET. OH, THANK YOU, THANK
YOU. JENNIFER TRACY, CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS, I
THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD
HAVE A RESPONSE BY THE END OF
THE YEAR, IF POSSIBLE, OR LIKE
JANUARY TO MAKE IT A 12 MONTH
CYCLE, BUT BUT OTHERWISE, YEAH.
BY THE TIME I RETIRE. TO SOLVE
THESE PROBLEMS WOULD BE
FANTASTIC. YOU KNOW? I MEAN,
OBVIOUSLY, AND THE FACT THAT
IT'S JOINT POWERS, WE KNOW
THERE'S MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED, A
LOT OF AGENCIES INVOLVED. AND SO
WE KNOW THIS IS A BIG, A BIG
SHIP TO STEER, WE JUST WANT TO
CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE
GAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO
A POINT THAT WE CAN JUST MAKE IT
EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO
THRIVE. RIGHT. AND I'M SURE WE
ALL SHARE THAT, SHARE THAT
SENTIMENT. OF COURSE, WE TALKED
ABOUT THE DENIAL RATES AND THOSE
, THOSE THINGS. AND, YOU KNOW,
OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD ALSO BE
HELPFUL TO EVEN JUST FIGURE OUT
WE KNOW THERE'S VARIOUS WAYS
THAT COULD TRIGGER A DENIAL. I'M
JUST WONDERING, DO WE HAVE DATA
TO FIND OUT WHAT'S THE MOST
PREVALENTLY PREVALENT REASON FOR
DENIAL, OR DO YOU HAVE THAT
INFORMATION? WHAT'S THE MOST
PREVALENT REASON FOR DENIAL. SO
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GRANULARITY
IN THE BREAKOUTS, IT VARIES FROM
PROGRAM TO PROGRAM, BUT IN BOTH
OF THEM, THE MOST COMMON REASON
IS PROCEDURAL. SO SOMETHING
RELATED TO THEY DIDN'T FILL OUT
PART OF THE PAPERWORK, RIGHT. OR
MAYBE THEY DIDN'T RESPOND TO AN
INTERVIEW OR, SOMETHING LIKE
THAT. BUT WE CAN GET YOU SOME
MORE DATA ON THAT IF YOU'D LIKE
A FOLLOW UP ON THAT. SURE. OUR
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MOST
PREVALENT REASONS FOR DENIAL ARE
THAT CLIENTS ARE UNABLE, NOT
THAT THEY DON'T TRY TO MEET THE
REQUIREMENTS, BUT THEY'RE UNABLE
TO, OR THEY DON'T GET THE LETTER
FOR THEIR INTERVIEW IN TIME. SO
THEY GET THE LETTER AFTER THEIR
INTERVIEW TIME. THEY CAN'T GET
THROUGH TO THE CONTACT CENTER TO
CALL SOMEONE TO RESCHEDULE OR
HAVE THEIR INTERVIEW, BECAUSE
THE CONTACT CENTER IS SO
INUNDATED WITH CALLS THAT THEY
HAVE TO WAIT FOR HOURS AND
HOURS. IF THEY CAN EVEN GET IN
THE QUEUE. IN A LOT OF CASES,
PEOPLE SUBMIT DOCUMENTS, BUT THE
WORKER CAN'T FIND THEM. THEY TRY
TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS, BUT
SOMETIMES THE IT'S NOT CLEAR IF
IT'S WORKING CORRECTLY, WHICH
THE PROJECT HAS DONE A REALLY
GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO REMEDY.
BUT THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE ARE
BEING DENIED IS NOT BECAUSE
THEY'RE NOT COMPLYING, IT'S
BECAUSE THEY TRY TO COMPLY. AND
THERE ARE BARRIERS IN THE SYSTEM
THAT MAKE IT HARD FOR THEIR
ATTEMPTS AT COMPLIANCE TO EVEN
BE REGISTERED. SO THE DENIAL
REASONS ARE LARGELY
ADMINISTRATIVE BECAUSE THE
SYSTEM STRUGGLES TO ACTUALLY
COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE AND HAVE
A CLEAR PATHWAY FOR THEM TO DO
WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
YEAH. WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WHY
DON'T WE FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO
REQUEST SOME OF THOSE THAT,
INFORMATION IN WRITING IN TERMS
OF DENIAL RATES AND KIND OF
REASONS WHY I THINK THAT WILL BE
GREAT TO MEMORIALIZE IT. AND WE
CAN WRAP OUR BRAINS AROUND IT.
RIGHT BUT THEN ALSO OBVIOUSLY,
AS WE GIVE YOU TIME TO DO THIS
FINAL REPORT, IT'LL BE GREAT TO
BEGIN TO ALSO TALK ABOUT IN THAT
FINAL REPORT, YOU KNOW, ISSUES
WE STILL SEE HAPPENING THAT WE
REALLY NEED TO WORK THROUGH,
RIGHT? HOW WE PLAN ON GETTING
THEM. WHEN DO WE PLAN ON
COMPLETING THOSE THINGS LIKE
THOSE THINGS WILL BE HELPFUL TO
BE ABLE TO REMEDY, BASED UPON
SOME OF THE STORIES WE'RE
HEARING ON THE GROUND, BECAUSE
OBVIOUSLY, THE WORST THING YOU
CAN DO IS SAY TO SOMEONE, WELL,
HEY, IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE OR A
QUESTION, CALL THIS NUMBER, AND
THEN YOU CALL IT AND YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE WATCHING NOVELAS WHILE
YOU'RE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO
PICK IT UP, RIGHT. AND SO HOW DO
WE MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GOING
TO ASK PEOPLE TO USE SOMETHING
THAT THERE'S A TIMELINESS TO
THEM BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW,
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE A
DAY OFF WORK BECAUSE THEY HAVE
TO WAIT FOR A PHONE CALL TO COME
BACK. YOU KNOW, FOR SOMEONE TO
PICK UP, AND IF THERE'S ISSUES
LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE
THE TYPE OF BCP'S THAT I WOULD
LOVE TO START TO SEE, RIGHT?
THAT, HEY, IF WE NEED TO RAMP UP
OUR CALL CENTER, IF WE NEED TO
RAMP UP WHATEVER TO BE ABLE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S LIVE
PEOPLE ON THE PHONE THAT
PARTICULARLY SENIORS WILL BE
ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO. RIGHT,
PEOPLE WHO MAY NEED THAT REAL
PERSON INTERACTION TO BE ABLE TO
ARTICULATE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING
TO ACCOMPLISH AND NOT JUST PRESS
ONE, PRESS THREE. RIGHT THOSE
ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS. SO KIND
OF ALSO THINK ABOUT WHAT ELSE DO
YOU NEED TO IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE FROM THE CLIENT
PERSPECTIVE, THOSE ARE THE TYPE
OF THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
AS WELL. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MORE
TO COME, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH
, FOR THIS ITEM. AND WE WILL
MOVE ON TO ITEM ISSUE NUMBER
SIX. IT'S ONLY 316, AND WE'RE ON
NUMBER SIX. WOW.
OKAY, HERE GOES ANOTHER SYSTEM.
AND IS IT MR. DUNCAN'S? YES,
SIR. YOU MAY BEGIN WHEN YOU'RE
READY. MY NAME IS JAMES DUNCAN'S
CHIEF DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF
TECHNOLOGY AND SOLUTIONS
INTEGRATION AT. AND ME AND MY
COLLEAGUE HERE ARE GOING TO TAG
TEAM THROUGH THEIR QUESTIONS.
NOT A PROBLEM. OKAY. SO WE'LL
START OFF WITH QUESTION NUMBER
ONE, PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF
THE REQUEST MADE FROM THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET FOR CARES. SO
THE PURPOSE OF ORTEZ CALIFORNIA
AUTOMATED RESPONSE AND
ENGAGEMENT SYSTEM PROJECT, WE'RE
GOING TO CALL THAT CARES GOING
FORWARD IS TO IMPLEMENT A
MODERNIZED SYSTEM TO SUPPORT
CHILD WELFARE SERVICES. CARES
WILL BE A STATEWIDE CASE
MANAGEMENT AND DATA SOLUTION
THAT INCORPORATES CAPABILITIES
ESSENTIAL TO THE DELIVERY OF
TAILORED, HIGH QUALITY CHILD
WELFARE SERVICES. AS CARET'S
WILL BE A STATEWIDE CASE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND DATA
SOLUTION THAT INCORPORATES THOSE
CAPABILITIES, AND IT WILL ALSO
ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH
COMPREHENSIVE CHILD WELFARE
INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEE WHIPS,
SEE WHIPS, AND MAINTAIN FEDERAL
FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION AND
RELATED REQUIREMENTS. THIS
FUNCTIONALITY IS NOT CURRENTLY
AVAILABLE IN THE EXISTING CHILD
WELFARE SERVICES CASE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM. CMS THIS MODERNIZATION
WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED DATA
COLLECTION AND MONITORING OF
CHILD AND FAMILY OUTCOMES,
SERVICE DELIVERY AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CHILD
WELFARE INITIATIVES. IT WILL
ALSO DIRECTLY BENEFIT CHILD
WELFARE WORKERS BY REMOVING
DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS, AND WILL
STREAMLINE BUSINESS PROCESSES,
WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES WON'T HAVE TO
REPEAT INFORMATION, WILL FEEL
HEARD AND ENGAGED, AND WILL
DECREASE THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA.
THE STATE FISCAL YEAR 2425 BCP
REQUEST SUPPORTS OUR ABILITY TO
CONTINUE WITH ESSENTIAL WORK FOR
THE CARE SOLUTION. WITH THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF CARES, THE
STATE WILL BE ABLE TO
DECOMMISSION THE LEGACY SYSTEM
CMS, THE CARES PROJECT HAS
REQUESTED 225 MILLION TOTAL
FUNDS, INCLUDING FUNDING
AUTHORIZED AND PROVISIONAL
LANGUAGE, FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR
2425. THIS REQUEST INCLUDES FIVE
NEW POSITIONS TO SUPPORT STATE,
COUNTY, AND VENDOR ACTIVITIES
FOR THE CONTINUED DESIGN,
DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE CARES SYSTEM. SO THE
TOTAL REQUEST IS. FOR
225,000,006 $363,603,000 OF THAT
WHICH GENERAL FUND. IS
$114,248,044. FFP WILL. BE
$111,115,559. I'LL PASS IT OVER
TO MY COLLEAGUE. THANK YOU.
JAMES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME
IS JESSICA ROUGEAU, AND I'M THE
CHIEF OF THE CHILD WELFARE
SYSTEM BRANCH AT CDSS, SO I'LL
BE ADDRESSING NUMBER TWO AND
MOVING FORWARD. SO AS TO ADDRESS
THE TIMELINE FOR FULLY ACHIEVING
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CARES AND
HOW IT RELATES TO THE PROPOSED
EFFECTIVE DATE. FOR THE
PERMANENT RATE STRUCTURE. WE
WANT TO TALK THROUGH SEVERAL
ITEMS. FIRST VERSION ONE OF THE
CARES PROJECT IS PLANNED FOR
FULL STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION IN
OCTOBER OF 2026. THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF CARES VÆ ONE
WILL NOT DELAY THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RATE
STRUCTURE IN JULY 2026, AS
INDICATED IN THE TRAILER BILL
LANGUAGE, THE PERMANENT RATE
STRUCTURE WILL BECOME OPERATIVE
ON JULY 1ST, 2026, OR WHEN CAL
SAU CAN PERFORM THE NECESSARY
AUTOMATION TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW
TIERED RATE TABLES. UPON THE
RATE STRUCTURE BEING BUILT INTO
CAL SAU, THE ADMINISTRATION
FULLY SUPPORTS AN INTERIM
PROCESS FOR THE RATES TO BE
PROCESSED PENDING FULL PARDON ME
. SORRY. SWITCHING PAGES.
IMPLEMENTATION OF VÆ ONE OF
CARES. THIS WOULD INCLUDE
LEVERAGING THE CURRENT KANSEN
DATA THAT THE STATE HAS AND
APPLYING THE LATENT CLASS
ANALYSIS THAT'S REFERENCED IN
THE PROPOSAL TO DETERMINE THE
TIER, AND UTILIZING THE CURRENT
WORKAROUND THAT WE HAVE TODAY,
IN ENTERING DATA INTO CAL SAU
SIMILAR TO THE USE OF THE LEVEL
OF CARE PROTOCOL, WE DO NOT
ANTICIPATE ADDITIONAL COST, BUT
IT IS EARLY TO KNOW WHAT AN
ANTICIPATED COSTS MAY BE IN
TERMS THAT WE ARE STILL HAVING
TO WORK TOGETHER BETWEEN THE
STATE AND COUNTIES TO DETERMINE
WHAT THAT INTERIM PROCESS WILL
LOOK LIKE AND WHAT OTHER
AUTOMATION THÀNH ELEMENTS MAY
COME A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN
THE LINE. SO IT'S A LITTLE EARLY
TO GET FULLY KNOW IF WE CAN
ABSORB THOSE COSTS INTO SOME OF
OUR CURRENT CONTRACTS OR
EXPENDITURES, OR IF THERE MAY BE
SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS TO SUPPORT
THAT. TO REALIZE THE PERMANENT
RATE STRUCTURE IN VÆ ONE, CGRTS
HAS INITIATED TWO AUTOMATION
REQUESTS PENDING THE ENACTMENT
OF THE RATE REFORM PROPOSALS.
WE'RE WORKING, AGAIN, THIS IS
EARLY COSTING EARLY ENGAGEMENT
TO LOOK AT WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD
BE TO BOTH AUTOMATION PROJECTS
AND WHAT THE SCOPE WOULD BE, BUT
OF COURSE, IT'S CONTINGENT ON
BUDGET APPROVAL. FIRST, THE
AUTOMATION REQUEST FOR CAL SAU
IS TO SUPPORT THE FOSTER CARE
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MODULE
, OR FST, AND THAT WILL BE PART
OF THE BUILDING OUT OF THE NEW
RATES TABLE TO SUPPORT THE RATE
STRUCTURE AND PART OF A
BIDIRECTIONAL EXCHANGE OF DATA
THAT WILL HAPPEN BETWEEN THE CAL
SAU SYSTEM AND THE CARE SYSTEM.
ONCE CARES IS FULLY UP AND
OPERATIONAL. THE SECOND
AUTOMATION REQUEST IS FOR THE
CARE SYSTEM TO AUTOMATE THE
EXCHANGE OF THE NECESSARY DATA
TO SUPPORT THE THREE COMPONENTS
OF THE RATE STRUCTURE, AND THAT
IS THE TIER USING THE CAN SCORE
AND THE LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS TO
DETERMINE THE TIER OF THE RATE,
THE EMERGENT, THE IMMEDIATE
NEEDS FUNDING, AND THEN THE
STRENGTH BUILDING FUNDING. THANK
YOU. STILL MEMORIZING ALL THE
PIECES OF THE RATE STRUCTURE.
AND ONCE THIS IS COMPLETE, CARES
WILL BE ABLE TO AUTOMATE THE
CANS DATA COLLECTION. APPLY THE
LOGIC OF THE LATENT CLASS
ANALYSIS AUTOMATICALLY, AND THEN
THAT WILL BE EXCHANGED IN THE
BIDIRECTIONAL EXCHANGE WITH CAL
SOURCE, AND THEN FROM THERE, THE
CAL SAU SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO
GO THROUGH THE REMAINING STEPS
IN MAKING THE ELIGIBILITY
DETERMINATION FOR THE PROGRAMS.
AND THE PAYMENTS FOR THE
PROGRAMS. MOVING ON TO QUESTION
THREE. SO HOW IS THE CHILD AND
ADOLESCENT NEEDS AND STRENGTHS
OR THE CANS ASSESSMENT ADDRESSED
OR NOT IN CARES THUS FAR, AND
WHAT WORK IS NEEDED TO BE
COMPLETED, ON THIS PRIOR TO THE
JULY 1ST 26 PROPOSED START DATE.
SO THE CANS ASSESSMENT CURRENTLY
IS AUTOMATED IN AN INTERIM
SYSTEM, CARES LIVE WHERE IT. WE
ARE ABLE TO CURRENTLY COLLECT
THE CANS INFORMATION FROM
COUNTIES, IT'S A MULTI-PURPOSE
TOOL. IT SUPPORTS DECISION
MAKING AND IT IS A VALIDATED
TOOL, CURRENTLY WE COLLECT THAT
DATA AND THAT DATA CAN BE
LEVERAGED IN DOING MANUAL AND
RUNNING THAT AGAINST THE LATENT
CLASS ANALYSIS. AND THEN DOING
THIS MORE MANUAL OR KIND OF
TEMPORARY WORKAROUND PROCESS
THAT WE'RE REFERENCING, WE CAN
LEVERAGE LEVERAGE THE EXISTING
DATA THAT EXISTS IN CARES LIVE
TODAY IN CARES IN THE FUTURE
STATE, WE WILL BE AUTOMATING THE
CANS COLLECTION IN IN AN EVEN
MORE EXPANSIVE WAY THAN WHAT WE
HAVE TODAY. SO, AS OF MARCH
2021, WE, HAD COMPLETED THE CANS
ASSESSMENT WAS MANDATED
STATEWIDE, AND IN THE FUTURE
STATE, WE WILL HAVE A FULL
ASSESSMENT SUITE TOOL THAT WILL
INCLUDE THE CANS ASSESSMENT AND
CARES VÆ ONE, AND IT WILL ALSO
DELIVER ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY
IN, IN CARES VÆ ONE, LEVERAGING
THAT ASSESSMENT SUITE TO ALLOW
THE SHARING OF DATA BETWEEN
COUNTY CHILD WELFARE, BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH AND OTHER PARTNERS. SO
CURRENTLY TODAY, ONLY CHILD
WELFARE HAS ACCESS TO CARES LIVE
TO DO DIRECT ENTRY OF THAT DATA.
IN THE FUTURE STATE OF CARES, IT
WOULD ALLOW FOR THE DIRECT ENTRY
BY SOCIAL WORKERS OR OTHER CHILD
WELFARE PERSONNEL. DIRECT
BIDIRECTIONAL EXCHANGE OF
INFORMATION FROM BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH. WITH THAT INFORMATION,
WHERE THE KANSAS COMPLETED BY A
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICIAN OR
THROUGH A THIRD PARTY ENTITY. IF
THERE IS A CONTRACTED PROVIDER
THAT'S BEING BROUGHT IN TO DO
THE CANS AND THAT REDUCES THE
DELAYS IN GETTING THE CANS DATA
TO CHILD WELFARE. SO THE LATENT
CLASS ANALYSIS CAN BE RUN AND
THE TIERED RATE CAN BE
ESTABLISHED QUICKLY. SO THIS IS
REALLY ABOUT DATA IMPROVEMENT OF
DATA AND BRINGING DATA SETS
TOGETHER FROM KIND OF THE THREE
ENTITIES THAT ARE ABLE TO
PERFORM THE CANS TODAY.
CURRENTLY, ROUGHLY 50% OF
INITIAL AND ONGOING ASSESSMENTS
ARE COMPLETED TIMELY STATEWIDE.
BUT BECAUSE OF THIS THREE TIERED
APPROACH IN IMPLEMENTING THE
CANS ASSESSMENTS, SOMETIMES
THERE ARE DELAYS IN GETTING DATA
FROM THOSE PARTNERS AND THAT
IMPACTS THE TIMELINESS DATA THAT
WE HAVE BECAUSE OF DATA ENTRY
BEING SOMETIMES MANUAL OR TAKING
TIME FOR THE PAPER COPIES OF
CANS TO GET FROM OTHER PARTIES
TO CHILD WELFARE FOR DATA ENTRY.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THIS DATA IS
NOT COMPLETE AND DOES NOT
ACTUALLY REFLECT ALL OF THE GOOD
PRACTICE THAT'S OCCURRING
BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE
LIMITATIONS IN DATA COLLECTION
AND CARES LIVE TODAY. LET'S SEE,
AND FOR REFERENCE, I BELIEVE ONE
OF THE QUESTIONS IS, YOU KNOW,
WHAT DOES TIMELY MEAN? AND IN
TERMS OF TIMELY, THE CANS
REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT WITHIN 60
DAYS OF A CHILD COMING INTO
CARE, THEY ARE GETTING AN
INITIAL CANS ASSESSMENT DONE,
AND THEN EVERY SIX MONTHS
THEREAFTER AND A SUBSEQUENT CANS
IS DONE UNLESS THERE IS A
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE
CHILD'S NEED THAT WOULD
NECESSITATE AN EARLIER CANS, OR
IF THE CHILD IS RECEIVING
INTENSIVE CARE COORDINATION, IT
WOULD HAPPEN AT EVERY 30 OR
SORRY EVERY 90 DAYS. SO IT
HAPPENS AT A QUICKER INTERVAL.
CGRTS PROGRAM STAFF CONTINUED TO
PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO
COUNTIES TO IMPROVE DATA ENTRY
AND FOR CANS AND SUPPORT
CONTINUED CANS IMPLEMENTATION.
REALLY ADDRESSING AND WORKING
WITH COUNTIES AND WITH OUR
PARTNERS AT DWP AND LOOKING AT
WHERE THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN
IMPLEMENTATION AND WHERE WE CAN
FIND IMPROVEMENTS TO IMPROVE
TIMELINESS FOR EITHER DATA ENTRY
OR DATA SHARING WITH OUR
PARTNERS. SO WE ARE COMMITTED TO
CONTINUING TO DO THAT AND
IMPROVING THESE OUTCOMES AS WE
MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS MORE
INTEGRATED DATA SYSTEM THAT WILL
SUPPORT PRACTICE AS WELL. WITH
CARES VÆ ONE, CDSS AND DCS ARE
ACTIVELY WORKING TO ISSUE JOINT
GUIDANCE RIGHT NOW REGARDING THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE CANS BY
COUNTY PLACEMENT AGENCIES AND
COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. THIS
GUIDANCE WILL ALIGN THE CRITICAL
ASPECTS OF THE CANS
ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING WHICH
VERSION IS TO BE USED AND THE
FREQUENCY OF COMPLETION, AND IT
IS ALSO INTENDED TO ENABLE
PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COUNTY
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND COUNTY
PLACEMENT AGENCIES TO AVOID
DUPLICATIVE ASSESSMENTS AND
COMPLETION OF PROCESSES AND
SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE CARE
COORDINATION, WHICH IS ONE OF
THE OTHER LIMITATIONS WE
CURRENTLY HAVE IN CANS
COMPLETION. THE FUTURE
AUTOMATION OF ORS CARES WILL
SUPPORT THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND
REDUCE BARRIERS TO DATA
COLLECTION AND SHARING. AND
FINALLY, FOR QUESTION FOUR TO
OTZI OR CDSS, HAVE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE READINESS FOR ORS
CARES RELATIONSHIP IN
RELATIONSHIP TO THE PERMANENT
RATE STRUCTURE, THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSAL FOR CARES AND FOR THE
RATE REFORM TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT,
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDED
AUTOMATION AND CARES AND THE
TIMING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
NEW RATES. AS WE AWAIT FINAL
BUDGET DECISIONS, WE WILL
CLOSELY MONITOR HOW ANY CHANGES
TO THE FINAL POLICY MIGHT IMPACT
ORS CARES. BUT KDSS IS CONFIDENT
THAT WITH THE RATES TABLE
DEVELOPMENT IN KALSAR, THE STATE
AND COUNTIES CAN IMPLEMENT A
MANUAL OR INTERIM PROCESS FOR
IMPLEMENTING THE NEW RATE
STRUCTURE ON AN INTERIM BASIS
UNTIL ORS CARES IS COMPLETE.
SIMILAR TO THE LEVEL OF CARE
TOOELE COUNTIES TODAY ARE ABLE
TO USE THAT TOOL TO IDENTIFY A
RATE TIER OR A RATE LEVEL, AND
THEN CAL SALTS IS ABLE TO
RECEIVE THAT RATE AS THE TIERS
ARE BUILT INTO CAL SAU AND ARE
ABLE TO PROCESS IT THROUGH
EXISTING SUBMISSION PROCESSES
THAT OCCUR TODAY. AND WE
ENVISION BEING ABLE TO LEVERAGE
THAT SAME PROCESS AS AN INTERIM
UNTIL FULL AUTOMATION IN CARES
CAN BE COMPLETED. CDSS WILL WORK
WITH COUNTIES TO OPERATIONALIZE
THE INTERIM PROCESS AND MAKE
SURE IT MEETS BUSINESS NEEDS.
AND THAT IS THE END OF MY
QUESTIONS OR MY RESPONSE. UNLESS
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M SORRY.
I'M GONNA BORROW THAT. EILEEN
KAMINSKI WITH A COUNTY WELFARE
DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION. WE
SUPPORT THE TIERED APPROACH, THE
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH BEHIND
THE FOSTER CARE RATES PROPOSAL.
A TIERED RATE AND A RATE THAT
THAT IS, IS KEYED OFF OF THE
NEEDS OF THE CHILD, WE PROVIDED
SIGNIFICANT FEEDBACK ON THE RATE
PROPOSAL ITSELF IN A BUDGET MEMO
THAT WE SENT IN LATE APRIL, AND
AS IT SO AS IT RELATES TO THIS
DISCUSSION TODAY, THIS PANEL, I
WANTED TO OFFER JUST SOME
REFLECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ON
HOW TO APPROACH SOME OF THE KEY
QUESTIONS AS NEEDED FOR AUTOMATE
AUTOMATION. SO STARTING WITH THE
CAL SAU PIECES OF IT, CARES AND
CAL SAU, AS JESSICA SAID, ARE
BUILDING AN INTERFACE TO SUPPORT
THE EXCHANGE OF THE DATA TO
FACILITATE THE ELIGIBILITY
DETERMINATIONS FOR FOSTER CARE
AND THE PAYMENTS ON THE
PAYMENTS, WHICH ARE ISSUED FROM
CAL SOS. ASPECTS OF THE RATE
STRUCTURE ARE GOING TO NEED TO
BE BUILT INTO BOTH SYSTEMS, BUT
CAL SOS WILL NEED FINAL POLICY
ON RATE STRUCTURES PUBLISHED NOT
LESS THAN 14 MONTHS PRIOR TO
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW RATE
STRUCTURE. IN ORDER TO BEGIN
THEIR PROGRAMING WORK AND HAVE
IT BE FINISHED ON TIME. AND
THERE ARE SPECIFIC POLICY
ELEMENTS THAT CAL SAU NEEDS TO
KNOW TO HAVE RESOLVED TO ENABLE
THAT COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAMING
TO BEGIN. AND THOSE INCLUDE ONE,
THE INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF
TIERS, THE GROUPINGS OF YOUTH IN
THE TIERS, AND THE APPLICABILITY
OF ANY KIND OF CNI OR OTHER
INFLATIONARY ADJUSTMENT TO THOSE
TIERS. WE NEED TO KNOW THE
PROCESS FOR TRANSITIONING YOUTH
FROM THE CURRENT LEVEL OF CARE,
OR THE AGE BASED RATES, TO THE
NEW RATES. WE NEED TO KNOW IF
THERE IS ANY NEW OR CHANGED
NOTICES OR FORMS THAT ARE GOING
TO BE REQUIRED, INCLUDING
TRANSLATIONS. AND WE NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT ANY NEW OR CHANGED
REPORTS LIKE THOSE ARE THE
THINGS THAT ARE PRODUCED OUT OF
CALSTRS NOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE
POLICY NAILED DOWN ON, WE
BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAN GET
TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE ADDRESSING
THOSE POINTS, BY AUGUST, THIS
SHOULD ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT
SUFFICIENT TIME TO DEVELOP A
POLICY AND ISSUE THE GUIDANCE
AND GET THAT DONE ON TIME TO
ACHIEVE A JULY 1ST, 2026
IMPLEMENTATION DATE, BUT WHAT WE
ARE, STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT
WITH IS NOT HAVING CARES IS, THE
ONE GO LIVE AT THE SAME TIME.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THE
MISALIGNMENT OF THE DATES AND IN
CARES IMPLEMENTATION. VÆ ONE.
AND WHEN CAL SAU COULD BE READY
TO GO WITH THE NEW RATE
STRUCTURE ALREADY CAUSED US SOME
CONCERN, BECAUSE MUCH OF WHAT
THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED AND
THE RATE PROPOSAL IS, IS VERY
MUCH CONTINGENT ON THERE BEING
FUNCTIONALITY AND CARES TO
SUPPORT THAT. AND SO WITHOUT
BOTH SYSTEMS BEING READY, IT
DOES POSE FOR US SOME TECHNICAL
AND OPERATIONAL CONCERN. ÓRDENES
TECHNICALLY, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO
US HOW THE RATE ITSELF WOULD BE
SET WITHOUT THE CARES
FUNCTIONALITY. SO WE CAN DO THE
CANS, AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS
ISSUES, THAT HAVE BEEN ALLUDED
TO WITH ENSURING THAT CANS IS
DONE TO FIDELITY AND DONE TIMELY
AND THAT THE DATA GETS ENTERED
INTO ONE SYSTEM FOR PURPOSES OF
DETERMINING EARNING THE RATE.
BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT LATENT
CLASS ANALYSIS WOULD BE
PERFORMED WITHOUT SOME SORT OF
PROGRAMING FOR IT. THAT'S NOT
SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO
MANUALLY. SO THINKING THROUGH
AND WE'VE SUBMITTED IN OUR
COMMENTS CONCERNS ABOUT THE
LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS AND THE
USE OF THAT GENERALLY. BUT BUT
CERTAINLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD DO IN
AN INTERIM TO DETERMINE A TIER
TWO BASED OFF THE CANS WITHOUT
RUNNING THAT LCA, IF THAT IF
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING, BECAUSE
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN JUST
DO MANUALLY. IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT
A CALCULATED THÀNH THAT WE DO,
SO AND THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS
OF THE, OF THE PROPOSAL THAT
REALLY REQUIRE, CARES AUTOMATION
TO SUPPORT. SO, SO THAT IS AN
ISSUE. AND OPERATIONALLY SOME OF
OUR CONCERNS ARE WE'D BE GOING
LIVE WITH CARES V1 AT THE SAME
TIME AS IMPLEMENTING A NEW RATE
STRUCTURE AND OPERATION. ONLY AS
WE KNOW FROM BIG SYSTEMS
CHANGES, ROLLING THAT OUT
STATEWIDE IS GOING TO HAVE ITS
OWN CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES.
IF WE ARE LAYERING BOTH OF THOSE
AT THE SAME TIME AS WE'RE DOING
A NEW RATE PROPOSAL, THERE ARE
OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES THERE. WE
JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE PLANNING FOR THOSE
CHALLENGES, AND I THINK WE CAN
ACCOMMODATE THEM, BUT WE NEED TO
PLAN FOR THEM. SO THERE'S THOSE
TWO ISSUES. I THINK, THE
COMPLEXITY OF THE NEW RATE
STRUCTURE, THE EXTENT TO WHICH
POLICY GUIDANCE IS CLEAR,
COMPLETE AND TIMELY, AND
WHATEVER INTERACTIONS ARE NEEDED
, WE MAY NEED TO ADJUST THE
AUTOMATION SCHEDULE. WE MAY NEED
TO ADJUST THE IMPLEMENTATION
SCHEDULE OF THE RATES PROPOSAL.
BUT WE ARE STILL IN ALL THE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, THE
FUNDING IS AN ESTIMATE FOR THE
AUTOMATION AS JESSICA NOTED, IT
MAY REQUIRE REVISIONS. ONCE WE
KNOW MORE OF THE RATE STRUCTURE
ITSELF. ONCE THAT'S FINALIZED
AND THE DETAILS ARE KNOWN ABOUT
WHAT KIND OF CHILD SPECIFIC
REPORTING AND OTHER DATA AND
OUTCOME REPORTING, WE'RE GOING
TO NEED TO DO. SO. LOTS OF
QUESTIONS. BUT Dð DO WANT TO
STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING
BOTH SYSTEMS BEING READY TO GO
FOR THE RATE PROPOSAL AS IT AS
WE CURRENTLY UNDERSTAND IT. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, JOSEPH
OLSEN, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE NO
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AT THIS
TIME. THANK YOU. LEO BRIAN
METZGER LEO. MY COMMENTS WILL BE
SPECIFIC TO THE IT PROJECT
ITSELF. AND THEN MY COLLEAGUE
ANGELA MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS, WE FIND THAT THE
PROJECT IS MAKING PROGRESS
LARGELY IN LINE WITH ITS MOST
RECENT COST, SCHEDULE AND SCOPE.
HOWEVER FOR THE MOST RECENT
OVERSIGHT REPORT SUGGESTS THAT
THE PROJECT MAY NOT BE ON TRACK
TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES WITHIN
THE APPROVED TIME FRAME DUE TO
SOME ISSUES AND RISKS THAT COULD
IMPACT THE PROJECT SCHEDULE. THE
PROJECT IS CURRENTLY GOING
THROUGH A SCHEDULE STABILIZATION
PLAN THAT IS PLANNING TO SUBMIT
IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS TO
ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND
RISKS. FURTHERMORE, IT'S UNCLEAR
WHETHER THE PROJECT WILL EXPEND
ITS ENTIRE APPROPRIATION IN THE
CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. OUT OF THE
ABOUT 200 MILLION BUDGETED, ONLY
77 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT AS OF
THE END OF MARCH, SOME OF THAT
DIFFERENCE IS EXPLAINED BY HOW
PROJECT VENDORS ARE PAID, WHICH
CAN LEAD TO SOME LARGE MONTH
OVER MONTH DIFFERENCES, AS WELL
AS REIMBURSEMENT TIMELINES THAT
CAN EXTEND MANY MONTHS AFTER THE
END OF A FISCAL YEAR, WE WOULD
NOTE THAT THE AGENDA DOES, MAKE
A NOTE THAT THE PROJECT DOES
EXPECT TO SPEND MOST OF THESE
FUNDS, BUT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR
MONTHLY PROJECTED EXPENDITURES
FOR THE PROJECT FOR MANY MONTHS
NOW AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT
INFORMATION FROM DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE, THEREFORE, WE WOULD
JUST RAISE THIS AS AN ISSUE
ABOUT WHETHER ALL THE FUNDS WILL
BE SPENT, ALSO, IT RAISES
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISIONAL
BUDGET BILL, LANGUAGE THAT WAS
PASSED LAST YEAR THAT
CONDITIONED ABOUT $70 MILLION,
OF WHICH ABOUT 35 MILLION IS
GENERAL FUND. ON THE
DEMONSTRATION OF VERIFIED
SATISFACTORY PROGRESS TOWARDS
PROJECT COMPLETION. AND OUR
CONCERNS ARE REALLY PRIMARILY
ABOUT THAT AMOUNT BEING HIGH
ENOUGH TO TRIGGER THE LANGUAGE
AND ACTUALLY SHOW THAT PROGRESS
IS BEING MADE IN A TIMELY
MANNER, WE RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE REQUEST AN UPDATE ON
THAT CONDITION, FUNDING, BECAUSE
IT HAS NOT BEEN REQUESTED BY THE
ADMINISTRATION QUITE YET, AND
MORE GENERALLY, ON THE
PROBABILITY OF THE PROJECT
ACTUALLY SPENDING ITS FULL
APPROPRIATION IN THE CURRENT
YEAR. GOOD AFTERNOON, ANGELA
SHORT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST'S OFFICE, WE DID ALSO
JUST WANT TO ADD SOME BRIEF
COMMENTS RELATED TO THE NEW
PROPOSED PERMANENT RATE
STRUCTURE, OVERALL, I THINK AS
WAS MADE CLEAR BY BOTH THE
DEPARTMENT AND QUDAH, THIS IS
VERY MUCH AN EVOLVING ISSUE, THE
ADMINISTRATION AND STAKEHOLDERS
ARE STILL WORKING ON PROPOSED
TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE TO
IMPLEMENT THE NEW FOSTER CARE
RATE STRUCTURE, WHICH WAS
PROPOSED BY THE ADMINISTRATION
THÀNH ALONGSIDE THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET PROPOSAL, AND SO AT THIS
POINT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW
EXACTLY THE SCOPE AND TIMELINE
AND OVERALL BUDGETARY NEEDS FOR
AUTOMATION THAT WILL BE REQUIRED
TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW RATE
STRUCTURE. BUT GIVEN HOW
SIGNIFICANT THE NEW RATE
STRUCTURE IS SHAPING UP TO BE,
WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL
BE AUTOMATION NEEDS. WE JUST
DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT EXACTLY
WHAT THOSE WILL BE, BUT AS YOU
HEARD FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND
COUNTIES, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT
SOME OF THOSE NEEDS COULD BE
RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY
PROGRAMING THE NEW RATES
THEMSELVES AS WELL AS SORT OF
THE FORMULA OR THE ALGORITHM TO
ACTUALLY DETERMINE ON WHAT RATE
LEVEL YOUTH WOULD BE CATEGORIZED
AS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE, SOME
OTHER POTENTIAL NEW ELEMENTS
COULD BE RELATED TO THE NEWLY
PROPOSED STRENGTHS BUILDING AND
MAINTENANCE COMPONENT, AS WELL
AS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS
COMPONENT, WHICH AGAIN, DETAILS
ARE STILL VERY MUCH EVOLVING AND
BEING WORKED OUT FOR THOSE,
COMPONENTS. SO ALL THAT TO SAY,
IT'S HARD TO SAY EXACTLY AT THIS
POINT, BUT AS WAS NOTED, THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET DOES INCLUDE
$12 MILLION GENERAL FUND AS AN
AUGMENTATION TO, FOR AUTOMATION
FOR BOTH AWS CARES AND CAL SALAS
TO IMPLEMENT WHATEVER AUTOMATION
CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT
THE NEW RATE STRUCTURE, THAT
AMOUNT IS INTENDED TO COVER THE
NEEDED AUTOMATION EFFORTS, BUT
AT THIS POINT IT IS A
PLACEHOLDER. SO WE'LL JUST NEED
TO, CONTINUE MONITORING AND SEE
ONCE WE HAVE THE FULL DETAILS OF
THE RATE STRUCTURE PROPOSAL, HOW
THAT WILL IMPACT ANY AUTOMATION
NEEDS, AND WE'LL BE CONTINUING
TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND
COUNTIES AND OTHER LEDGE STAFF
AND WILL CERTAINLY KEEP THE
LEGISLATURE UPDATED AS WE LEARN
MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, ADMINISTRATION, YOU SEEM
TO INDICATE THAT YOU WERE,
CONFIDENT OF THE JULY 1ST,
COMPLETION, ARE YOU, OR IS THERE
SOME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU
AND LAO IN TERMS OF YOUR ABILITY
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING
THAT DEADLINE? I THINK THANK
YOU. WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE ABLE
TO MEET THE DEADLINE, AS IN THE
PROPOSED TBO, WHICH IS JULY 1ST
OF 26, OR WHEN CAL SAU IS ABLE
TO SUPPORT THE RATES TABLES,
WHICHEVER IS LATER. SO AGAIN, I
THINK SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH
THE FULL ASSESSMENT OF THE FULL
TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE AND THE
POLICY THAT IS NEEDED BY CAL SAU
14 MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO BE ABLE
TO HAVE COMPLETE POLICY IN PLACE
SO THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE
INFORMATION THEY NEED TO THEN DO
THE AUTOMATION AND HAVE ENOUGH
TIME TO TEST IT AND IMPLEMENT
IT. SO AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE VERY
MUCH LOOKING AT, YES, WE THINK
IT'S AN ACHIEVABLE DATE, BUT
HAVING THAT LANGUAGE VERY
FOCUSED ON OR WHEN AUTOMATION IS
POSSIBLE AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I
WILL DEFER BACK TO EILEEN IN
TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HER THINKING
AROUND, AUTOMATION, YOU KNOW,
AND HOW THAT WILL TIME UP WITH
CARES. RIGHT. BEFORE YOU CHIME
IN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
BECAUSE I HEARD YOU LOUD AND
CLEAR THAT THERE HAS TO BE IT
SEEMS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE
BETTER COORDINATION IN TERMS OF
CARES AND SOLS, BECAUSE THEY'RE
BOTH AT SOME POINT GOING TO NEED
TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. AM I
CORRECT IN THAT? CORRECT AND WE
ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF
BUILDING THE FZ, WHICH IS THE
FOSTER CARE ELIGIBILITY
DETERMINATION OR THE IT'S AN
INTERFACE. IT'S A BIDIRECTIONAL
INTERFACE BETWEEN THE TWO
SYSTEMS THAT WILL GO LIVE IN
VERSION ONE OF CARE. SO THAT'S
ALREADY UNDERWAY BEING BUILT. SO
WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
OTHER SILOS HAPPENING HERE. NO,
WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOGETHER
AND WE HAVE PLEASE, NOT ANOTHER
SILO. AND WE HAVE WE HAVE OUR
OWN GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND
PROCESS BETWEEN THE TWO PROJECTS
TO SUPPORT THIS AS WELL. SO WE
HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVE
COMMUNICATION AND TEAMING. I
THINK WE ARE JUST LOOKING MORE
TOWARDS FINAL BUDGET APPROVAL
TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE AND POLICY
TO COME FORWARD TO FOR BOTH
PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO
SUCCESSFULLY BUILD BUILD THIS
INTO OUR ROADMAPS AND EXECUTE
THE AUTOMATION THÀNH AND
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. YOU SEEM
TO, WE, LAO HAS INDICATED THAT
THEY'RE STILL WAITING FOR,
MONTHLY INFORMATION TO BE SENT
TO THEM IN TERMS OF FINANCE
EXPENDITURES, THINGS LIKE THAT,
IS THERE A REASON WHY YOU'RE
UNABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TO LAO AS
REQUESTED? AND I'M CONCERNED OF
FINANCE. YEAH. I THINK THE TEAM
IS STILL WORKING TO GET THIS
INFORMATION TOGETHER, BUT THEY
WILL FOLLOW UP WHEN THEY HAVE
THAT. DO YOU HAVE THAT
INFORMATION AVAILABLE? I DON'T
THINK THAT THEY HAVE THAT
INFORMATION AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.
OKAY. AND AT WHAT POINT WILL WE
BE ABLE TO, TO, ACHIEVE THAT
REQUEST, I THINK THE TEAM IS
WORKING ON IT. WE DON'T HAVE AN
ESTIMATED DATE AT THIS TIME, BUT
I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOUR
STAFF TO FOLLOW UP. ELIO, HOW
LONG HAVE YOU MADE THIS REQUEST?
I BELIEVE THE FIRST TIME WE MADE
THIS REQUEST WAS IN JANUARY. SO
IT'S BEEN SEVERAL, SEVERAL
MONTHS. OKAY. SEVERAL MONTHS,
AND SO I'M HOPING THIS DOESN'T
TAKE A YEAR TO BE ABLE TO GET
THIS INFORMATION. SO I JUST KNOW
THAT WE WE'RE DEFINITELY HAVE
THAT EXPECTATION THAT YOU'RE
PROVIDING LAO WITH THE
INFORMATION NECESSARY SO THAT WE
CAN BE PROPERLY BRIEFED ON THAT
INFORMATION, AS WELL. SO WITH
THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK THE LAO
TO CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR
THE SPENDING FOR AWS CARES
PROJECT, OF COURSE WE KNOW YOU.
IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO DO THAT
WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE
INFORMATION. AND SO WE'RE WE'RE
GOING TO BE INSISTING ON THAT
INFORMATION AS WELL, AND FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION, IF YOU CAN,
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE'S A
LIKELIHOOD OF UNSPENT FUNDS OR
FURTHER DELAYS THAT MAY OCCUR IN
TERMS OF CARES AS WELL. I THINK
THE IDEA IS, I KNOW A LOT OF
THINGS ARE DEPENDENT. THERE'S
LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT, AND A LOT
OF IT TRIGGERS TRAILER BILL
LANGUAGE. THEN CARES, SOARS ALL
THAT KIND OF STUFF, I THINK ALSO
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EVEN WHEN
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE RATE
STRUCTURES, THAT A LOT OF IT IS
DEPENDENT ON CANS AND, AND IF
THE CANS IS NOT UNIVERSALLY USED
, AND THEN THERE'S A DELAY IN
DETERMINING THE RATES. IS THAT
CORRECT. SO THE CANS IS USED BY
ALL THREE ENTITIES AND
SUPPORTIVE CHILDREN AND CARE. I
THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT
EXISTS TODAY THAT WE REFERENCED
IS THAT THEY'RE SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT VERSIONS BEING
ADMINISTERED BETWEEN THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE
SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES. SO CHILD
WELFARE VERSUS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
. AND RIGHT NOW THE DEPARTMENTS
ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO REALIGN
THAT SO THAT WE WILL HAVE ONE
VERSION AND ONE SET OF TIMELINES
FOR COMPLETION SO THAT WE ENSURE
WE HAVE TIMELINESS SO THAT WE'RE
NOT MEASURING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
BY CHILD WELFARE STANDARDS WHEN
THEY DON'T ALIGN. SO KHÓ
GUIDANCE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF
BEING PREPARED TO BE RELEASED
RIGHT NOW, TO ALIGN THAT WELL IN
ADVANCE OF CARE'S V1. AND WE
ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL LIKELY
HELP ALIGN OUR CANS DATA NOW,
NOT JUST IN THE FUTURE IN
SUPPORT OF THE RATES PROPOSAL,
BUT IN TERMS OF DATA COLLECTION
OR MUCH EARLIER AS WELL. AND THE
OTHER OH, SORRY. THE OTHER ISSUE
IS ALSO AROUND GETTING THAT DATA
INTO CARES CARE'S LIVE OR AWS
CARES. EVENTUALLY. THE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM DOES
NOT HAVE ACCESS YET TO THE
CURRENT VERSION OF CARES. THAT
IS THAT IS FUNCTIONAL. THAT
FALLS THEN ON CHILD WELFARE TO
BE THE DATA ENTERS OF THAT. AND
THAT'S WHERE ALSO SOME OF THE
DELAY IS AND THAT THAT'S,
ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD THAT, THAT
WE'RE HAVING TO ABSORB. SO
HAVING THERE BE THE ABILITY FOR,
THE ENTITY PERFORMING THE CANS
TO, TO ACCESS THE SYSTEM AND
HAVE IT BE ONE UNIFIED SYSTEM, I
THINK WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL.
BUT THAT ALSO KIND OF GETS TO MY
POINT ABOUT TO WHAT ANGELA SAID.
THERE IS THE THERE'S THE CAL SAU
AUTOMATION AND WHAT THEY NEED TO
DO THAT TO ACTUALLY PROCESS A
PAYMENT TO MAKE A PAYMENT. SO
ONCE YOU KNOW THE TIER, THEY CAN
PUSH THAT OUT. BUT IT'S
DETERMINING Ã WHICH YOUTH FALLS
INTO, WHICH TIER FOR THE RATE
THAT'S RELIANT A LOT ON CARES
FUNCTIONALITY, BE IT THE CANS
DATA THAT'S ENTERED INTO IT. AND
THEN AFTER THAT THE CALCULATION
THÀNH OR THE ALGORITHM THAT IS
PROPOSED TO BE USED TO TRIGGER
THE NEW RATE. AND THOSE ARE
OUTSIDE OF CAL SAU AND CAL SAU
HAS NO THAT'S ALWAYS DESIGNED TO
HAVE BEEN INTERFACED. AND THAT'S
WHAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S,
THAT'S THE INTERFACE THAT'S
BEING, AUGMENTED NOW BUILT AND
AUGMENTED FOR, FOR THAT
FUNCTIONALITY. SO IT COULD TAKE
UP TO SIX MONTHS FOR A CANS TO
TAKE PLACE 60 DAYS, 60 DAYS.
CORRECT. OH, I FORGOT RIGHT.
ZERO. THAT'S RIGHT. YES RIGHT.
YEAH. SO THE ONCE THE BEFORE THE
60 DAYS A CHILD HAS ALREADY BEEN
PLACED. CORRECT? YES. SO WHAT
DETERMINES THE RATE UNTIL THEN.
SO CURRENTLY THE CURRENT RATE
STRUCTURE RIGHT NOW WOULD BE
BASED ON, ON EITHER THEIR AGE,
THE TYPE OF PLACEMENT THAT
THEY'RE IN OR THE LEVEL OF CARE
PROTOCOL DEPENDING ON THE
SPECIFIC SITUATION. SO IT WOULD
APPLY TO THE CURRENT RATE
STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND GOING FORWARD, ONCE THE NEW
RATE STRUCTURE IMPLEMENTS THE
PROPOSAL, IS THAT THE, TIER TWO
WOULD BE THE LEVEL THAT EVERYONE
WHO'S ENTERING INTO FOSTER CARE
WOULD RECEIVE PENDING THE
COMPLETION OF THE KANSEN THE
DEFAULT RATE. EXACTLY. NOW WE
HAVE, WE'VE GOT REFLECTIONS
CONCERNS WITH THAT PROPOSAL. WE
HAVE ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS,
BUT THAT'S THE THAT'S THE
CURRENT PROPOSAL. THERE WOULD BE
A DEFAULT OF SOME SORT, BE IT
THAT OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S
AGREED TO AS PART OF THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN. YES.
SO THAT EVERYONE WOULD GET A
RATE. SO I WANT TO REITERATE MY
REQUEST FOR US TO GET TOGETHER
TO TALK ABOUT ABOUT, THE RATE
REFORM BEFORE THE MAY REVISE
COMES OUT. WE GOT TO GET IT ON
BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE THIS BE I
WANT TO HAVE THIS FOLLOW UP
DISCUSSION BEFORE THE MAY
REVISE, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW FAST
MAY REVISE HAPPENS. AND SO I
JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE NEED
FOR ME TO MEET AGAIN WITH, DSS
ON THIS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE
THAT PROPER FOLLOW UP AND SOME
THINGS THAT HAVE COME TO LIGHT
FROM THE FROM THE, ICU DIRECTOR
JOHNSON, AGREEING TO THAT, JUST
WANT TO MAKE SURE AND IF THE
HOLD UP IS MY SIDE, BY THE WAY,
JUST LET ME KNOW AND I'LL. I'LL
TAKE CARE OF THAT, AS WELL. I
WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AGAIN,
LEO, PLEASE. KEEPS US APPRAISED.
AND I AM REQUESTING FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE THAT YOU
GIVE ME A DATE IN WHICH, LÀ WILL
BE RECEIVING THE DATA. SO THAT
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
HAVING THE PROPER OVERSIGHT
NECESSARY, ON THIS. I REALLY
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S WORK. I
KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING
PIECES HERE, AND, GOOD LUCK TO
YOU ALL IN THIS PROCESS. THANK
YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE WILL, MOVE
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. ITEM NUMBER
SEVEN, ELECTRIC BENEFIT TRANSFER
THEFT AND UPDATE
.
HASN'T EVEN BEEN THREE HOURS
YET. WE'RE ROLLING. MAN, I DON'T
WANT TO JINX IT OR ANYTHING, BUT
I'M JUST SAYING. ALL RIGHT,
NUMBER SEVEN. MR. GILLETTE,
THAT'S ME. ALL RIGHT, HELLO
AGAIN, RYAN GILLETTE, DEPUTY
DIRECTOR WITH THE RESEARCH,
AUTOMATION AND DATA DIVISION AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES. I'M JUST GOING TO JUMP
RIGHT INTO THE QUESTIONS THAT
WERE RAISED. SO STARTING WITH
THE DESCRIPTION OF HOW EBT THEFT
HAS BEEN IMPACTING CLIENTS, SO
JUST AS A BRIEF REMINDER,
CALFRESH AND CALWORKS BENEFITS
ARE ISSUED ON ELECTRONIC
BENEFITS TRANSFER OR EBT CARDS
FOR CLIENT USE. EBT CARDS ARE
USED BY SWIPING THE MAGNETIC
STRIPE FOR IN-PERSON
TRANSACTIONS, WHICH MAKES THEM
VULNERABLE TO A PARTICULAR TYPE
OF FRAUD CALLED SKIMMING.
MALICIOUS ACTORS USE THE
SKIMMING DEVICES, WHICH ARE
INSTALLED AT ATMS OR OTHER POINT
OF SALE TERMINALS, TO CAPTURE
EBT CARD INFORMATION AND CREATE
CLONED CARDS, AND THEN USE THOSE
CLONED CARDS TO CONDUCT
FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS THAT
LEAVE LEGITIMATE CARDHOLDERS
DRAINED OF THEIR BENEFITS. EBT
THEFT HAS INCREASED
SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE PAST 24
MONTHS, AND VICTIMS OF EBT THEFT
MAY FIND THEMSELVES UNABLE TO
PAY RENT, BUY FOOD, OR MANAGE
OTHER ESSENTIAL EXPENSES, WHILE
COUNTIES ARE EXPECTED TO REPLACE
BENEFITS WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER
THE THEFT IS REPORTED. EVEN
SHORT INTERRUPTIONS CAN HAVE
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON
BENEFICIARIES FINANCES.
CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN REPLACING,
ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN CALFRESH
BENEFITS WITH GENERAL FUND
DOLLARS SINCE 2021. THIS CHANGED
ON DECEMBER 2023, WHEN THE USDA
FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE FFNNS
BEGAN REIMBURSING THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA FOR EBT THEFT OF
CALFRESH, OR SNAP BENEFITS
WITHOUT ADDITIONAL ACTION. AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THOUGH, THIS
FEDERAL AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE
REIMBURSING STATE AGENCIES FOR
ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFITS
WILL SNAP BENEFITS WILL EXPIRE
ON OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR.
CALIFORNIA CONTINUES TO REPLACE
STOLEN BENEFITS, STOLEN CASH
BENEFITS WITH STATE GENERAL FUND
DOLLARS, AND IS PREPARED
PREPARED TO REVERT BACK TO THIS
PROCESS FOR CALFRESH IF ACTIONS
ARE NOT TAKEN FEDERALLY TO
CONTINUE SNAP REIMBURSEMENT. IN
TERMS OF COSTS, IN FY 2223, THE
STATE REIMBURSED APPROXIMATELY
$75 MILLION IN CALWORKS OR CASH
BENEFITS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND
AND 32 MILLION IN CALFRESH OR
FOOD BENEFITS. ALSO THE GENERAL
FUND FOR A TOTAL OF 109 MILLION.
FOR 2324. WE PROJECTED CASH
REIMBURSEMENTS AT AN ESTIMATED
142,000,000IN GENERAL FUND
IMPACT, AND FOOD RE REPLACEMENTS
WERE PROJECTED AT 72 MILLION,
BUT DUE TO THE FEDERAL POLICY,
ONLY ABOUT 25 MILLION OF THAT
WOULD BE GENERAL FUND. THE TOTAL
PROJECTED IMPACT WAS 214
MILLION, OF WHICH 168 MILLION
WAS FROM THE STATE GENERAL FUND.
WE CAN PROVIDE TABLES WITH THIS
IF YOU WANT ALL THAT. IN TERMS
OF HOUSEHOLDS, WE DON'T HAVE
PERFECT DATA ON THE NUMBER OF
INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE IMPACTED
JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE
DATA IS REPORTED UP TO THE
STATE. BUT WE ESTIMATE THAT
BETWEEN NOVEMBER OF 2022 AND
OCTOBER OF 2023, APPROXIMATELY
200,000 HOUSEHOLDS WERE VICTIMS
OF THEFT, AND OF THOSE, ABOUT
25,000 WERE VICTIMS WERE
VICTIMIZED MORE THAN ONCE. IN
TOTAL, THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT 5%
OF THE TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS OR
CASELOAD. THE GOOD NEWS IS,
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
WE DO HAVE PLANS IN PLACE TO
ENHANCE CARD SECURITY. SO WE
SPECIFICALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING
TO PUT CHIP TAP TECHNOLOGY ONTO
THESE CARDS, WHICH WILL PROVIDE
A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN
SECURITY THAT WILL CLOSE THE
MAIN PATHWAY BY WHICH CARDS ARE
BEING COMPROMISED AND BENEFITS
ARE BEING STOLEN. CALIFORNIA IS
POISED TO BE THE FIRST STATE IN
THE NATION TO DO THIS. NO OTHER
STATES ARE DOING THIS. WE ARE
FARTHER ALONG THAN ANYONE ELSE
AND COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, WE
ARE GOING TO GET THIS DONE AS
QUICKLY AS WE CAN. PRIOR TO
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHIP TAP
TECHNOLOGY, THOUGH, EBT
RETAILERS WILL HAVE TO UPDATE
THEIR POINT OF SALE TERMINALS TO
ACCEPT THE NEW EBT CHIP, TAP
TOKENS AND PROCESS TRANSACTIONS
ACCORDINGLY. IN ADDITION, THESE
UPDATES ARE REQUIRED TO CAN. IN
ADDITION, WE'RE THEY'RE REQUIRED
TO CONTINUE TO ACCEPT MAGNETIC
STRIPE EBT CARDS, INCLUDING
THOSE USED FOR WICK AND SUMMER
EBT. THE POINT OF SALE DEVICES
AND THE SOFTWARE THEY RUN ARE
MANAGED BY A SET OF THIRD PARTY
TRANSACTION PROCESSORS, AND WHAT
THIS MEANS IS THAT ANY CHANGES
TO THE EBT SYSTEM MUST BE
CLOSELY COORDINATED WITH
RETAILERS, TRANSACTION
PROCESSORS OR EBT VENDORS.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, OUR
VENDOR FIS AND THEN FEDERAL
OVERSIGHT BODIES, INCLUDING
FFNNS, TO ENSURE THAT CONSISTENT
PRACTICES ARE BEING ADOPTED
NATIONALLY OR. YEAH BEFORE THE
ROLLOUT OF NEW CARDS, WE ARE
CONDUCTING EXTENSIVE TESTING TO
ENSURE THAT THE NEW
FUNCTIONALITY WORKS AS EXPECTED,
AND IN PARTICULAR, THAT IT DOES
NOT DESTABILIZE THE RETAILERS.
THE SYSTEM FOR RETAILERS WHO MAY
NOT HAVE UPDATED THEIR POINT OF
SALE TERMINALS PRIOR TO CARD
DEPLOYMENT, WE ARE ALSO IN
DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR FEDERAL
OVERSIGHT PARTNER, FFNNS, TO
DETERMINE POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO
NATIONWIDE INTEROPERABILITY TO
ENSURE THAT IF SOMEONE GOES TO
ANOTHER STATE, THEY CAN STILL
USE THEIR CARD. WE ARE ACTIVELY
CONDUCTING USER ACCEPTANCE
TESTING EVERY DAY. FOR THE PAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE HAVE BEEN
DOING THIS TO DETERMINE THE
ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS.
CGRTS CONTINUES TO ENCOURAGE
FFNNS RETAIL AND PAYMENT
PROCESSING INDUSTRY LEADERS TO
MOVE AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN AND
UPDATING THEIR TERMINALS. FNS
INFORMED US THAT THIS WEEK THEY
ACTUALLY PLAN TO MAIL OUT RETAIL
LETTERS TO ALL OF THE 30,000
PLUS RETAILERS THAT ACCEPT EBT
IN CALIFORNIA, INFORMING THEM
THAT THEY NEED TO UPDATE THEIR
POINT OF SALE DEVICES AND CDSS
PLANS TO SEND OUT A SIMILAR
MAILING TO RETAILERS AND
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS LATER
THIS MONTH. WE ARE WORKING
CLOSELY WITH ADVOCACY GROUPS
SUCH AS THE GROCERS ASSOCIATION
TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ENSURE
THAT MERCHANTS ARE READY TO
ACCEPT CHIP TAP WHEN WE GO LIVE
THIS SUMMER, AND WE WILL BE
DOING OUTREACH TO COUNTY BOARDS
OF SUPERVISORS TO ASK THEM TO
ENGAGE THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY,
BUSINESS LEADERS ON THIS TOPIC,
TOO. IN THE MEANTIME, CDSS AND
OTS ARE ADVANCING EQUIPMENT
CONFIGURATION AND DEPLOYMENT
ACTIVITIES IN AN EFFORT TO
PROVIDE COUNTY WELFARE
DEPARTMENTS WITH THE EQUIPMENT
NEEDED, TO DELIVER TO ACTUALLY
CREATE THE CHIP TAP CARDS AT
COUNTY OFFICES. BEYOND THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHIP, EMV AND
TAP CARDS, CDA HAS IMPLEMENTED A
NUMBER OF OTHER EFFORTS TO
TARGET THEFT MITIGATION. IN THE
INTERIM, I WON'T GO INTO TOO
MUCH DETAIL ON THESE, BUT HAPPY
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THEM IF
YOU'RE INTERESTED. ONE WE HAVE
EBT EDGE AND THE WHICH IS A APP
AND WEB PORTAL WHERE CLIENTS CAN
DO SELF-SERVICE CARD SECURITY
FEATURES SO THEY CAN LOCK THEIR
CARD WHEN IT'S NOT IN USE. THEY
CAN BLOCK OUT-OF-STATE
TRANSACTIONS, THEY CAN BLOCK
ONLINE TRANSACTIONS, THEY CAN
CHANGE THEIR PIN ALL THROUGH AN
APP OR THROUGH AN ONLINE WEB
PORTAL. THIS IS ALSO, I'M NOT
SURE IF IT'S CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
OR ABOUT TO BE AVAILABLE,
THROUGH THE IVR PHONE LINE SO
PEOPLE CAN CALL IN AND DO THIS
OVER THE PHONE TOO, WE HAVE
NUMEROUS PUBLIC SERVICE
ANNOUNCEMENTS RAISING AWARENESS
ABOUT THIS AND INFORMING PEOPLE
OF WHAT THEY CAN DO TO SECURE
THEIR THEIR CARDS. WE'VE DONE
MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
DIRECT CLIENT OUTREACH, AGAIN,
TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CHANGE
THEIR PINS, TO USE THESE OTHER
CARD SECURITY FEATURES THAT
WE'VE, DEVELOPED, INCLUDING
THINGS LIKE DIRECT DEPOSIT SO
CLIENTS CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE THEIR
EBT BENEFITS DEPOSITED, OR AT
LEAST THE CASH BENEFITS
DEPOSITED DIRECTLY INTO A BANK
ACCOUNT IF THEY HAVE ONE, WHICH
WOULD SOLVE THAT POTENTIAL THEFT
PROBLEM FOR THEM. OUR VENDOR FIS
HAS CREATED A DEDICATED FRAUD
TEAM THAT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL
FOR US IN THINKING ABOUT THESE
DIFFERENT STRATEGIES. AND WE'VE
BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO PURSUE,
INVESTIGATIONS OF SITUATIONS
WHERE WE'VE FOUND SOME OF THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE, COMMITTING
THIS, THIS THEFT. MOVING ON TO
THE THIRD QUESTION ON HOW THE
DEPARTMENT IS USING RESOURCES
APPROPRIATED IN PRIOR BUDGETS TO
INVESTIGATE EBT THEFT. THE
DEPARTMENT DOES CONTINUE TO
COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL, STATE
AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AUTHORITIES TO MITIGATE THE
THEFT OF EBT BENEFITS BY
BLOCKING SUSPICIOUS
TRANSACTIONS, IDENTIFYING
POTENTIAL POTENTIAL
PERPETRATORS, AND LOCATING WHERE
SKIMMING DEVICES HAVE BEEN
PLACED. MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS
ARE CURRENTLY ONGOING. WE'VE
MADE NUMEROUS ARRESTS. THE
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT THAT WAS
PROVIDED IN THE LAST YEAR'S
BUDGET CONSISTS OF ONE SPECIAL
SUPERVISORY INVESTIGATOR, TWO
SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS, AND ONE
PROGRAM ANALYST. AND THANKS TO
THEIR HELP IN COORDINATION WITH
ALL OF OUR OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT
PARTNERS, WE'VE MADE OVER 140
ARRESTS SINCE 2022, AND HAVE,
BLOCKED OVER 200 TERMINAL IDS
THAT ARE SUSPECTED OF BEING
INVOLVED WITH SNAP TRAFFICKING.
JUST EARLIER THIS MONTH, OR I
GUESS ACTUALLY LAST MONTH AT
THIS POINT, CDSS ASSISTED IN AN
OPERATION WITH HOMELAND SECURITY
IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE TWO
INDIVIDUALS WERE ARRESTED AT AN
ATM LOCATION WITH MULTIPLE
CLONED CARDS. AND IN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY LAST MONTH, SEVEN
INDIVIDUALS THAT APPEARED TO BE
PART OF AN ORGANIZED CRIME RING
WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED IN
CONNECTION WITH THE THEFT OF
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
. IF CONVICTED, THEY COULD FACE
10 TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON, AND
WE'VE ALSO BEEN COORDINATING
WITH NATIONAL PARTNERS, WHICH
HAS LED TO THE ARRESTS OF
INDIVIDUALS IN OTHER STATES AS
WELL. FOR EXAMPLE, AN INDIVIDUAL
WAS RECENTLY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
IN MICHIGAN WHO POSSESSED
SEVERAL STOLEN EBT CARDS AND Ã
AND A SKIMMER DEVICE. SO WE'RE
TAKING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY, AND
WE INTEND TO PROSECUTE ANYONE
THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FIND. AND
CONVICT TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT OF
THE LAW WITH REGARD TO CHANGES
THAT DSS AND COUNTIES HAVE MADE
TO MAKE IT EASIER AND FASTER TO
REIMBURSE BENEFITS, PROCESSING
AN EBT THEFT CLAIM FORMS AND
ISSUING REPLACEMENT BENEFITS IS
A TREMENDOUS WORKLOAD FOR
COUNTIES. WHILE WE ANTICIPATE
THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHIP
TAP TECHNOLOGY WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THIS BURDEN
DUE TO THERE BEING LESS THEFT,
WE HAVE TAKEN OTHER MEASURES TO
SUPPORT COUNTIES IN ISSUING
TIMELY REPLACEMENT OF BENEFITS
IN THE INTERIM. SO ONE OF THE
MOST RECENT THINGS THAT WE'VE
DONE IS WE AUTOMATED THE FORM
THAT CLIENTS NEED TO FILL OUT.
IT'S CALLED THE EBT 2259 FORM.
THIS USED TO BE A PAPER FORM
THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO FILL
OUT, TAKEN TO THE COUNTY. THIS
IS NOW SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN
FILL OUT ONLINE THROUGH
BENEFITS. CAL, AND SO HOPEFULLY
THAT SHOULD MAKE THE CLIENT
EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND ALSO EASE SOME OF THE BURDEN
ON OUR ON OUR COUNTY CASEWORKERS
. WE ALSO HAVE REMOVED SOME OF
THE BARRIERS TO REPORTING THEFT
IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE ISSUED AN
ACL THAT REMOVED THE REQUIREMENT
TO SUBMIT A POLICE REPORT AND
FILE A MISS DISPENSE CLAIM WITH
OUR VENDOR. THESE WERE ORIGINAL
REQUIREMENTS THAT HAD BEEN IN
PLACE, BUT WE'D HEARD FROM CARD
HOLDERS THAT THIS WAS A BARRIER
FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO, FOR VARIOUS
REASONS, MAY NOT HAVE WANTED TO
TALK TO THE POLICE ABOUT WHAT
WAS GOING ON, OR JUST WERE
CONFUSED ABOUT THE PROCESS. SO
REMOVING THOSE STEPS, HAS LED TO
AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE SUBMITTING
REIMBURSEMENT CLAIMS. SO WE'RE
PLEASED TO SEE THAT THAT SEEMS
TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND YEAH, THEN
THERE'S OTHER EFFORTS LIKE
DIRECT DEPOSIT AND EBT, WHICH
HAVE MADE IT EASIER FOR, FOR
CLIENTS TO MANAGE AND SECURE
THEIR BENEFITS AND, YEAH,
FINALLY, THE LAST QUESTION
REGARDING IS THERE A PROCESS FOR
RECOVERING STOLEN SUMMER EBT
BENEFITS? SO SUMMER EBT BENEFITS
THAT ARE STOLEN BY ELECTRONIC
THEFT, INCLUDING SKIMMING,
SCAMMING, AND SIMILAR FRAUDULENT
MEANS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR STATE
OR FEDERAL REPLACEMENT BENEFITS.
THIS IS DUE TO A FEDERAL RULE
THAT STIPULATES THAT SUMMER EBT
BENEFITS CAN ONLY BE REPLACED
FOR FOOD PURCHASED AND
SUBSEQUENTLY DESTROYED DUE TO A
HOUSEHOLD MISFORTUNE OR
DISASTER. FOR SCENARIOS IN WHICH
SUMMER EBT BENEFITS HAVE BEEN
COMPROMISED DUE TO THE PHYSICAL
CARD BEING STOLEN, THE HOUSEHOLD
MUST REPORT THAT CARD AS LOST OR
STOLEN, AND AT THIS POINT THE
STATE WOULD IMMEDIATELY REPLACE
THE CARD SO AS TO PREVENT
FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY. SUMMARY EBT
CARDS CAN BE MANAGED THROUGH EBT
EDGE THAT THAT MOBILE APP IN THE
IN THE WEB PORTAL. AND THROUGH
THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO LOCK THEIR CARDS, BLOCK OUT
ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND ALL
THOSE OTHER SECURITY
ENHANCEMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE
TO, GENERAL EBT CARD USERS. WITH
THAT, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. CHAIR
JACKSON, AGAIN, ANDREW SHANE
WITH GRACE AND PROPERTY
CALIFORNIA, WELL, MR. GILLETTE
REALLY COVERED SOME OF THE
THINGS I WAS GOING TO SAY. SO NO
NEED TO UNDERSCORE REALLY. WELL,
JUST I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THE
STATE'S, SERIOUSNESS. AND I WAS
GOING TO MENTION SOME OF THE
SAME WORK WITH THE SECRET
SERVICE. I MEAN, I THINK THAT
SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, FOR HOW
ODIOUS THIS IS. THIS IS STEALING
FROM PEOPLE ALREADY EXPERIENCING
POVERTY. JUST FIRST THEN
REGARDING RESTORATIONS, WE
CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM HOUSEHOLDS
THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES AND
DELAYS IN SUBMITTING AND
RECEIVING RESTORATIONS AND
UNDERSCORE THAT WHEN TIMELY
RESTORATION IS NOT HAPPENING,
THAT MEANS FAMILIES ARE NOT
EATING, THEIR CASH IS GONE,
THEIR LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF,
THEIR HOUSING IS AT RISK. THERE
HAVE BEEN THE IMPROVEMENTS. I
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I WOULD
SAY THAT WE STILL NEED TO GET
CLARITY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL ABOUT
THE PROCESS, TO TRY AND GET TO
THAT THREE DAY BEST PRACTICE
THAT COUNTIES HAVE SAID THAT
THEY CAN ACHIEVE. WE KNOW TEN
DAYS IS THE REQUIREMENT, BUT,
THERE ARE MANY CLIENTS WHO ARE
STILL SEEKING RECOURSE WITH
LEGAL AID TO GET HEARINGS RIGHT.
SO IT'S HAPPENING, BUT AT A MUCH
LONGER RATE. AND AS MR. GILLETTE
SPOKE TO, FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE
BEING VICTIMIZED MULTIPLE TIMES,
RIGHT. IT'S THIS CONTINUOUS
PROCESS, SO I'M GOING TO FOCUS
ON THE TRANSITION TO CHIP TAP.
BUT AS THE AGENDA NOTES, THE
RECENT CVB CARDS DIDN'T PREVENT
SKIMMING AS THEY WERE NOT
DESIGNED TO DO, NOR WILL CHIP
TAP COMPLETELY ELIMINATE EBT
THEFT. UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS
JUST GOING TO BE THE CASE. AND
SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO
IMPROVE THE RESTORATION PROCESS
WHILE TAKING ACTION TO PREVENT
AS MUCH THEFT. WE ABSOLUTELY
AGREE THAT SHOULD BE THE FOCUS
AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THROUGH
CHIP, TAP AND OTHER MEANS, THE
ENORMOUS INEQUITY IN CARD
SECURITY THAT IS PRIMARILY THE
FAILURE OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. AND JUST JUST TO BE
CLEAR ABOUT THAT, AND WE CAN
DISCUSS THAT LATER, IF THAT'S OF
INTEREST. AND SO, TO UNDERSCORE,
WE CELEBRATE THE GOVERNOR AND
ADMINISTRATION'S LEADERSHIP. WE
ARE THE FIRST STATE. THIS DATES
BACK TO JANUARY 2023. PROPOSED
BUDGET TO MAKE US THE FIRST
STATE TO GET TO CHIP TAP. AND IT
IS FRUSTRATING THAT, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
IT SOUNDS SIMPLE, RIGHT? WE
MIDDLE CLASS, UPPER CLASS PEOPLE
HAVE CHIP TAP CARDS. IT'S NOT
NEW TECHNOLOGY, BUT THIS IS A
SITUATION FOR EBT IN WHICH GOING
FIRST IS CHALLENGING, WHETHER WE
LIKE IT OR NOT. IT REQUIRES
SIGNIFICANT COORDINATION. AS
MISTER GILLETTE SPOKE TO,
THERE'S A LOT OF INDUSTRY
STAKEHOLDERS, TWO FEDERAL
AGENCIES AND THE STATE. SO JUST
A LITTLE DETAIL ON THAT. AND I'M
NOT GOING TO PRETEND TO BE AN
EXPERT ON THE BACK END. SO
DEFINITELY TELL ME IF I GET
SOMETHING WRONG HERE. BUT I
THINK THE BASICS ARE THAT THE
STANDARD FOR THE EBT CHIP TAP
TRANSACTIONS IS STILL BEING
DEVELOPED, MEANING THAT IT'S
KNOWN THAT THE RETAILERS ARE NOT
READY TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE CHIP
OR THE TAP FOR THOSE CARDS.
RIGHT AND EVEN WHEN THAT
STANDARD IS DEVELOPED, THERE'S A
LOT OF WORK TO UPDATE THE
SOFTWARE, THE POINT OF SALE
SYSTEMS AND TRAIN THEIR STAFF.
BUT THE STANDARD IS NOT EVEN
SET. SO IN THE MEANTIME, AS WAS
ALLUDED TO, THE FOCUS IS ON THE
FALLBACK, RIGHT? SO THAT THE
MACHINE, THE SOFTWARE AT THE
GROCERY STORE OR THE ATM DIRECTS
THE CONSUMER THEN TO SWIPE THEIR
CARD. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT,
MEANING THAT ONCE, ONCE THAT
HAPPENS, THEN THEN IT'S, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE
ACCESS TO SEND OUT THE CARDS,
BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE
SECURITY. AND BECAUSE SOMEONE IS
STILL SWIPING AND THAT'S WHERE
THOSE OVERLAY DEVICES, THE
SKIMMING DEVICES CAN STILL
INTERCEPT THE CARD NUMBER. AND
THEN WHEN SOMEONE PUTS IN THEIR
PIN, THE PIN. SO WE'RE NOT
GETTING THE SECURITY. AND SO
WHAT'S CONCERNING IS THAT THE
EARLY TESTING AT LEAST AND
UNDERSTOOD IT'S ONGOING SHOWED
THAT THE FALLBACK FAILED IN A
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TESTS,
MEANING THAT IT WAS YOU COULD
NOT ACTUALLY USE THE SWIPE
FEATURE AS THE FALLBACK FOR THE
CHIP TAP. SO THAT HAPPENS TO
PEOPLE ALL THE TIME IF YOU HAVE
MULTIPLE CARDS. BUT WHAT IF IT'S
YOUR ONLY CARD, RIGHT? THAT'S
WHAT THAT ISSUE HERE. NOT ONLY
THAT, WE RISK THE BEHAVIORAL
DAMAGE OF CONSUMERS ALREADY IN
THE TOXIC STRESS OF POVERTY.
HAVING THE CONFUSION OF YOUR
CARD NOT WORKING, NOT ABLE TO
BUY YOUR GROCERIES OR PULL OUT
YOUR CASH FROM THE ATM, MAD AT
THE GAS STATION, THE GROCERY
CLERK, WHOEVER IT IS, AND NO
ONE'S REALLY SURE WHAT TO TELL
YOU, WHAT TO DO. AND FOR ALL THE
TIME WE SPEND IN THIS COMMITTEE
ON ELIGIBILITY ON THAT GOLD
NORTH STAR OF AUTOMATIC ACCESS
FOR SENIORS, RIGHT. THAT BENEFIT
LIVES AND DIES ON THE CARD IT
HAS. IT HAS TO WORK IN THE REAL
WORLD. SO THE COMMUNITY MESSAGE
IS SIMPLE. WE JUST HAVE TO GET
THIS RIGHT. WE HAVE TO BALANCE
ACCESS WITH SECURITY. AND
FUNDAMENTALLY THAT JUST MEANS
NOT TO RUSH THIS AGAIN. WE HAVE
EVERY FAITH THE STATE IS GOING
TO GET THIS RIGHT. WE JUST CAN'T
LET AN ARTIFICIAL DEADLINE LIKE
SEPTEMBER 30TH, WHICH WE'RE
WORKING HARD ON THE FEDERAL SIDE
OR ANY OTHER DATE TO SAY WE HAVE
TO GO BECAUSE OF SOME PRESSURE.
WE JUST HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT
IN THE RETAIL SETTING, MAKING
SURE THAT THE HARDWARE, THE
POINT OF SALE, THE SOFTWARE, THE
TRAINING, THOSE SUPPORTS ARE
THERE. AND IT'S A BIG LIFT. WE
APPRECIATE THIS IS NOT EASY.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP SUPPORT IT.
AGAIN. IT'S 30,000 AUTHORIZED
RETAILERS ACROSS CALIFORNIA. AND
I JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, WHEN WE
ROLLED OUT ACTUAL EBT, WHEN WE
MOVED AWAY FROM THE FOOD STAMPS
INTO EBT, IT WAS PILOTED. THIS
WAS A DECISION MADE NATIONALLY
BY THE USDA AND IN CALIFORNIA
THAT INCLUDED A STAKEHOLDER
GROUP THAT HAD CONSUMERS AND
ADVOCATES. THIS ALLOWED FOR
LEARNING IN A LOWER STAKES
ENVIRONMENT WITH ROBUST
FEEDBACK. OBVIOUSLY, THERE
WASN'T THE SKIMMING RIGHT. THERE
WASN'T THAT SORT OF PRESSURE.
BUT BUT AGAIN, IT WAS A WAY TO
ACTUALLY ROLL THIS OUT IN A MORE
MEASURED APPROACH. AND FROM AN
EQUITY PERSPECTIVE, WE APPLAUD
THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
SIGNALED TO FIRST FOCUS ON DUAL
ENROLLED CAL FRESH, CAL WORKS
HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE HAVING BOTH
THEIR FOOD AND THEIR CASH STOLEN
. RIGHT. THAT ABSOLUTELY MAKES
SENSE FROM AN EQUITY
PERSPECTIVE. BUT FROM A SYSTEMS
PERSPECTIVE, IF THAT'S DONE
STATEWIDE, IT MEANS THAT THE
FOOD AND CASH SIDE HAS TO WORK
ON DAY ONE, POTENTIALLY
STATEWIDE. SO IT JUST RAISES
SOME OF THOSE THOSE STAKES. AND
AGAIN, JUST PUTS THE ONUS ON
HAVING ADEQUATE TESTING AND
SUPPORT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT,
VERY QUICK, THE GOOD NEWS IS
THAT INDUSTRY AND USDA IS AT THE
TABLE, AND WE THINK THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREMATURE AND
SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT IS JUST A FEW
MONTHS. THIS IS NOT INDEFINITE
DELAY AND TIME WELL SPENT TO
PRESERVE ACCESS WHILE IMPROVING
SECURITY. I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH
INTERESTED ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE
UPON THE CVP EXPERIENCE. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE
CHAIR. MY NAME IS GILBERT RAMOS
AND I SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE
EXECUTIVE DEPUTY EXECUTIVE
OFFICER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT IN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS
IS THE TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE
DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR ADMINISTERING CALWORKS,
CALFRESH AND OTHER SOCIAL
SERVICES PROGRAMS, AS AND OF
WHICH I SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR
BEFORE MY CURRENT ASSIGNMENT,
TODAY, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY
EXPERIENCE IN COUNTY WITH EBT
THEFT. SO IN MID 2021, WE
STARTED TO SEE AN INCREASE IN
EBT THEFT, SKIMMING AND
SCAMMING, AND WE STARTED TO
NOTICE THIS INCREASE PRIOR TO
PRIOR TO THIS NOTICE INCREASE,
WE WOULD DO ABOUT MAYBE TEN
REPLACEMENTS A MONTH. AND BY THE
SUMMER OF 20 2021, WE HAD
STARTED TO SEE AN INCREASE OF
ABOUT 30, AND BY THE END OF 21,
WE HAD HAD ABOUT 300 REQUESTS
REPLACEMENTS RECEIVED AS WE
ROLLED INTO 2022, WE CONTINUE TO
SEE OUR INCREASE AN INCREASE IN
THE REPLACEMENT REQUESTS. AND
JUST TO ILLUSTRATE, IN APRIL, WE
HAD A 342 REQUESTS FOR
REPLACEMENT. BY AUGUST 456, AND
BY DECEMBER WE HAD 838 REQUESTS
FOR REPLACEMENTS MADE FROM OUR
CUSTOMERS. THIS INCREASE IN
THEFT WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH
NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO OUR
CUSTOMERS WHO SUFFERED THESE
LOSSES, ALSO THE IMPACT TO THE
STAFF, BECAUSE THE DRAMATIC
WORKLOAD INCREASE, THAT WE HAD
NOT EXPERIENCED BEFORE IN ORDER
TO ISSUE AND REPLACE THESE
BENEFITS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO OUR CUSTOMERS WOULD, WOULD
HAVE A MINIMAL IMPACT FROM Ã
DOLLARS AND BENEFITS
PERSPECTIVES. THIS EQUATES TO
ABOUT $488,000 IN BENEFITS BEING
REPLACED IN 2021, BUT IT JUMPED
TO $3.7 MILLION IN 2022. NOW,
THESE ARE CALWORKS AND CALFRESH
BENEFITS THAT ARE STOLEN FROM
OUR CUSTOMERS AND RESULTS IN AN
INABILITY TO PAY RENT, PAY
UTILITIES, BUY GROCERIES FOR
THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR
CHILDREN, AS WELL AS HAVE TO GO
THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCESS TO GET THEIR BENEFITS
REPLACED, PRIOR TO THIS MARKED
INCREASE IN EBT THEFTS,
ADDRESSING THE STOLEN BENEFITS
WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY MAYBE ONE
PERSON. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO
MEET THIS NEW WORKLOAD, WE HAD
TO CONTINUE TO ADD STAFF TO GET
THIS JOB DONE, ONE STAFF TURNED
INTO TWO, STAFF QUICKLY TURNED
INTO ADDITIONAL STAFF, ADDING
SPECIALIZED STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN
TRAINED TO DO THE PROCESS. AND
OF COURSE, OVERTIME HAD TO BE
OFFERED AS WELL JUST TO KEEP UP
WITH THE DEMAND. NOW,
RECOGNIZING THIS WAS NOT A LOCAL
ISSUE AND IS AFFECTING ALL THE
COUNTIES AND ACTUALLY CONTINUE
TO GO ACROSS THE NATION, WE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER
COUNTIES, HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH
CWA AS WELL AS CDSS, AND TALKED
ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP
RESOLVE THIS. AND SO WITH OUR
PARTNERSHIPS, WE DID BEGIN TO
SEE POLICY CHANGES AND UPDATES.
AS MR. GILLETTE DESCRIBED, TO
BETTER RESPOND TO THE
REPLACEMENT REQUEST ACTIONS,
SUCH AS REMOVING THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICE REPORTS,
FILING CLAIMS WITH THE EBT
VENDORS, AND LOCALLY ADJUSTING
SOME POLICIES, TO TIME FOR A
TIMELY REVIEW AND MAKING
APPROVALS QUICKER, EVEN
EXTENDING THE RECENTLY EXTENDING
THE TIME FRAME TO REPORT THE
THEFT, AS WELL AS ADDING THE
ONLINE AUTOMATED CLAIM FORM, THE
EBT 2259 ON BENEFITS. CAL ALL OF
THESE THINGS HAVE HELPED US
IMPROVE OUR RESPONSIVENESS TO
THE CUSTOMER'S CLAIMS. THOUGH
THESE EFFORTS HAVE HELPED US
RESPOND QUICKER AND PROVIDE, THE
CUSTOMERS BENEFITS BACK TO THEM
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WE
CONTINUE TO SEE A STEADY
INCREASE IN THE THEFTS IN 2023.
WE DID SEE THE NUMBER OF
REPLACEMENTS, HIT 18,000 IN THE
YEAR, AND THAT RESULTED IN $12.6
MILLION IN TOTAL BENEFITS.
CALWORKS AND CALFRESH BEING
REPLACED. BUT WHILE WE WERE
REPLACING THESE BENEFITS, OUR
FRAUD INVESTIGATORS, ALONG WITH
LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WERE
INVESTIGATING AND DISRUPTING
CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE
RESPONSIBLE OR PERPETRATING
THESE CRIMES AGAINST OUR
CUSTOMERS, OF WHICH WHO ARE OUR
MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS IN THE
COMMUNITY. OUR FRAUD
INVESTIGATORS STARTED LOOKING
INTO THESE CRIMES EARLY ON, AND
TEAMED UP WITH OUR SHERIFFS AND
OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENTS TO DO
DEEP DIVES TO SEE WHAT WAS
HAPPENING AND HOW THEY WERE
HAPPENING. INITIALLY THEY DID
FIND A, ILLEGALLY INSTALLED
SKIMMING DEVICES AND MICRO
CAMERAS ATTACHED TO THE POINT OF
SALE DEVICES AND ATMS AROUND THE
COUNTY, WHICH THEY QUICKLY
REMOVED. BUT AS THE CRIMES
PROGRESSED, SO DID THEIR
INVESTIGATIONS, AND SO DID THEIR
RESULTS, WHICH THEY WERE ABLE TO
DISRUPT THE ACTIVITIES AND
ARREST THOSE WHO WERE
RESPONSIBLE. OUR SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY FRAUD INVESTIGATORS HAVE
HAD HAVE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS IN
SHARING THEIR INVESTIGATORY
TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES, WITH
NEARLY 2000 REQUESTS FOR
REPLACEMENTS RECEIVED PER MONTH
SO FAR THIS YEAR. WE ARE,
UNFORTUNATELY ARE NOT SEEING A
SLOWDOWN IN THE THEFTS AND WE
CAN, BUT WE DO. YET WE DO
CONTINUE TO STAY CURRENT AND
RESPONDING TO THE REPLACEMENTS
BY HAVING ADEQUATE STAFF
ASSIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE RESPONDING TIMELY, WE ARE
CURRENTLY ASSESSING THE COST
BENEFITS TO INCREASING THE
NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WE HAVE
DEDICATED FULL TIME TO, TO, TO,
TO DO SO, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
IMPLEMENTED THE RETRO
REPLACEMENT REQUEST, AND WE ARE
CURRENTLY WITHIN THE TIME FRAMES
OF ALL KNOWN REQUESTS FOR
REPLACEMENTS, BENEFITS THAT HAVE
BEEN TURNED IN. NONETHELESS EACH
AND EVERY CUSTOMER THAT IS
IMPACTED, THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE
BEEN MADE, THEY MAY BE
EVENTUALLY MADE WHOLE THROUGH
OUR THROUGH THE REPLACEMENT
BENEFITS. THEY WILL NOT BE
COMPENSATED FOR A LATE FEE
THAT'S CHARGED BY A LANDLORD OR
A LATE FEE. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY
MADE THEIR UTILITY PAYMENT LATE,
OR EVEN THE EMBARRASSMENT FOR
HAVING TO LEAVE THEIR GROCERIES
ON THE COUNTER BECAUSE THEY HAVE
A ZERO BALANCE. I'LL FINISH
SHORTLY. BECAUSE THEY HAD A ZERO
BALANCE ON THEIR CARD, THEY WILL
NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR THAT. SO
WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE FULL
ADOPTION OF THE EBT EDGE
APPLICATION BY OUR CUSTOMERS,
AND THE FULL ROLLOUT OF THE CHIP
ENABLED TECHNOLOGY, BUT UNTIL
THEN, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO OUR
PART TO BALANCE OUR WORKLOAD
PRIORITIES, ENSURE THOSE THAT
ARE MOST VULNERABLE ARE
PROTECTED, AND FOR THOSE WHO DO
DEPEND ON US TO MEET THEIR BASIC
NEEDS, ARE SERVED WITH INTEGRITY
AND COMPASSION. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. NOTHING
FURTHER. LEO SONIA RUSSO WITH
THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S OFFICE
, OUR OFFICE PLANS TO CONTINUE
MONITORING THE BENEFIT
REPLACEMENT EFFORTS AND THE
ROLLOUT OF THE NEW EBT CARDS FOR
ANY KEY TAKEAWAYS OR ISSUES TO
RAISE FOR THE LEGISLATURE. THE
DEADLINE THAT YOU HAVE, TO MAKE
THE TRANSITION, IS THERE A,
PARTICULAR IS THIS LIKE A HARD
DEADLINE THAT LEGALLY,
LEGISLATIVELY, ANYTHING THAT WE
HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS
DONE BY A CERTAIN TIME. SO TO BE
CLEAR, THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC
DEADLINE. THE OCTOBER DATE THAT
I MENTIONED IS THE DATE AT WHICH
THE FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT OF
STOLEN FOOD BENEFITS WILL END.
SO THAT JUST MEANS IT STARTS TO
BECOME A BIGGER COST TO US IF WE
WANT TO TAKE LONGER THAN THAT,
WE COULD, BUT THERE'S NOTHING
THAT IS REQUIRING US TO DO IT BY
THAT DATE. OUR HOPE IS TO ROLL
THIS OUT AS QUICKLY AS GOOD
REASON, THOUGH. I MEAN, I'M NOT
TRYING TO. I WOULD AGREE. OKAY,
SO, I GUESS THE OBVIOUSLY
THERE'S SOME CONCERNS ABOUT
CONCERNS ABOUT MOVING TOO FAST
AND WHETHER PEOPLE MIGHT
ACTUALLY BE HARMED BY THAT AND
WHETHER THAT IS A GREATER HARM
THAN WHATEVER POTENTIAL RISKS
THEY'RE ALREADY ASSUMING TODAY,
I ASSUME YOU'VE ALREADY KIND OF
DID THAT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
THIS AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, I
MEAN, FROM THE TESTING THAT'S
CURRENTLY BEING DONE, IS THAT A
RED FLAG TO YOU ALL? SO, YES. SO
LET ME LET ME SHARE A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ON THE
TESTING. SO SOME GOOD NEWS AND
SOME MILESTONES ACTUALLY THAT WE
HIT RECENTLY WITHIN THE PAST
COUPLE WEEKS WE WERE ABLE TO
PRINT AN ACTUAL CHIP CARD, AND
WE WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT A
TRANSACTION WITH IT IN A TEST
ENVIRONMENT THAT WORKED. SO WE
KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY FUNCTIONS.
THE STATE IS DOING OUR PART TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED
ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY, ALL OF
THE IMPLEMENTATION, ALL OF THE
UNDERLYING FRAMEWORK, THE CODE
LIKE IT IS IT HAS HAPPENED ONCE
NOW, RIGHT? WE'VE PROVEN THAT IT
CAN BE DONE, AS WELL AS THE AS
WELL AS THE, THE TAPE, THE
FALLBACK THAT. YEP, YEP. SO WE
KNOW HOW TO WE KNOW HOW TO DO
ALL THESE THINGS AT THIS POINT
THE CHALLENGE AS, AS WE'VE
MENTIONED AND, HAS BEEN RAISED
IN THIS DISCUSSION IS HOW DO WE
GET THE 30,000 RETAILERS AND,
YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
TO MAKE THOSE UPDATES TO THEIR
DEVICES AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE
NEED TO BE DOING REGULAR
COMMUNICATION WITH THEM TO
EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF
PUSHING THESE CODE UPDATES INTO
THEIR TERMINALS AND TESTING TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID
IT. BECAUSE, AGAIN, WHAT WE
DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS WE
MAIL OUT THESE CARDS TO EVERYONE
AND THEY'RE THERE ARE TWO RISKS
OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN. ONE
IS WE SEND OUT CARDS TO PEOPLE
AND THEY TRY TO USE THEM. BUT
THE RETAILER DOESN'T ACCEPT CHIP
TAP YET AND THEY JUST FALL BACK
TO MAGSTRIPE. RIGHT. AND THAT'S
BAD BECAUSE THEIR CARDS ARE
STILL VULNERABLE IN THAT CASE.
CORRECT. THE SCARIER THING IS,
IF WE DISCOVERED THROUGH THIS
TESTING THAT THERE MAY BE SOME
INSTANCES OF PEOPLE WHO
IMPROPERLY HAD EARLIER NOT
UPDATED THEIR TERMINALS SO THAT
THE DEFAULT BEHAVIOR, IF YOU'RE
PRESENTED WITH A CHIP CARD, IS
TO FALL BACK TO MAGSTRIPE. AND
THERE WERE SOME INSTANCES OF
THAT NOT HAPPENING PROPERLY AND
THAT WAS NOT EXPECTED. THAT WAS
A DEFECT. THAT IS NOT THE WAY
THAT THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO
WORK. SO WE ARE ALSO CHECKING
THAT BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE VERY
PROBLEMATIC IF A CLIENT IS NOT
ABLE TO USE THEIR CARD AT ALL.
SO BEFORE WE WOULD ACTUALLY GO
FORWARD WITH MAILING OUT ALL OF
THESE CARDS TO EVERYONE, WE WANT
TO HAVE DONE ENOUGH TESTING TO
FEEL CONFIDENT THAT, YOU KNOW,
THE VAST MAJORITY OF RETAILERS
HAVE AT LEAST SOLVED THAT SECOND
PROBLEM, AND HOPEFULLY MOST OF
THEM ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO
PROCESS CHIP TRANSACTIONS AS
WELL. HOW HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO
RECEIVE UPDATES FROM YOU IN
TERMS OF MAKING SURE THERE'S AS,
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING GOES WRONG,
MY COLLEAGUES OFFICES, PHONES
WILL START RINGING OFF THE HOOK,
AND I'M SURE THE COUNTIES AS
WELL. I PREFER THE COUNTIES MORE
THAN MINE, BUT, BUT, HOW DO WE
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CAUGHT
OFF GUARD? AND AS YOU'RE ROLLING
THINGS OUT AND, YOU KNOW, IS
THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAN, SEND
US A PLAN OR OR OR A REPORT, AND
REASONABLE INTERVIEW INTERVALS
SO THAT WE ARE FULLY, ABSOLUTELY
, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN, THE
ISSUES WITH ID HAPPENED AND
PHONE CALLS STARTED FLOODING IN
AND IT CAUSED A LOT OF PEOPLE
OFF GUARD. AND I'M JUST WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FULLY
KEEPING OUR LEGISLATORS AND
COUNTIES AS, INFORMED, IN CASE
SO WE'RE JUST PREPARED, RIGHT?
OF COURSE, SO IF YOU CAN GET
BACK TO US, IN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, HOW WE CAN FOSTER THAT
GOOD COMMUNICATION. THAT'LL BE
GREAT. ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO DO
THAT. OKAY ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT ITEM. ISSUE NUMBER EIGHT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MY NAME IS
CHAD CROW. I'M THE CHIEF
INFORMATION OFFICER AT
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU
FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO
DISCUSS OUR SECURITY COMPLIANCE
REQUESTS TODAY. AND, TAKING THE
TIME AS A QUICK OVERVIEW AND AS
A BACKGROUND, THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY HAS
MANDATED ALL STATE AGENCIES TO
ASSESS, PLAN, AND IMPLEMENT THE
INITIAL STAGE OF THE STATE
ADOPTED ZERO TRUST SECURITY
MATURITY MODEL, WHICH IS A
MULTIFACETED, MULTI-YEAR EFFORT.
ZERO TRUST ARCHITECTURE IS A
SECURITY FRAMEWORK THAT UTILIZES
LEAST PRIVILEGE ACCESS WITHIN
THE SECURITY WITHIN THE NETWORK
ENVIRONMENT, MEANING USERS AND
DEVICES ARE ONLY ALLOWED OR
GRANTED ACCESS OR PERMISSION TO
THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO IN
THE TASKS THEY NEED TO PERFORM
WITHIN THE NETWORK. THIS HELPS
REDUCE THE OVERALL SECURITY RISK
TO THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS
ASSETS, A GOOD ANALOGY THAT IS
OUT THERE FOR ZERO TRUST
ARCHITECTURE CONCEPT IS TODAY,
OUR SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IS
KIND OF LIKE A MOAT WITH A
CASTLE. THE FIREWALL WILL BE THE
MOAT, RIGHT? FIRE FIREWALL,
FIREWALL BEFORE. BUT THE MOAT
YOU TRANSVERSE THE MOAT, YOU GET
INTO THE CASTLE, YOU CAN GO
WHEREVER YOU WANT. THERE'S NO
CHECKS INSIDE. YOU GOT FULL
REIGN OF THE CASTLE IN THE NEW
ZERO TRUST ARCHITECTURE. YOU
REPLACE THAT CASTLE WITH A
MODERN DAY HOTEL. SO YOU
TRAVERSE THE MOAT, YOU GET TO
THE HOTEL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A
KEYCARD TO GET ANYWHERE. SO
YOU'RE CONSTANTLY CHECKED TO
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE
PLACES YOU'RE TRYING TO GET. SO
THAT'S A ZERO TRUST
ARCHITECTURE. AND WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO GET TO, SO THIS
REQUEST IS FOR $2 MILLION FOR
CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE 2425
BUDGET YEAR TO COMPLY WITH THAT
MODEL STANDARD BY K¾T WITH
APPROVAL OF THIS FUNDING, CGRTS
WILL ENGAGE WITH PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO
CONDUCT A THOROUGH ASSESSMENT OF
THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT
TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE AND ENABLE
THE DEPARTMENT TO INITIATE
COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES AND DEFINE
THE ONGOING RESOURCES,
TECHNOLOGY AND TIME NEEDED TO
MEET THE EMERGING REQUIREMENTS
WITH ENSURING OUR PROGRESSION
TOWARDS THAT ZERO TRUST
ENTERPRISE. MOVING TOWARDS ZERO
TRUST ARCHITECTURE MODEL WILL
ULTIMATELY ENHANCE CDS'S ABILITY
TO PROTECT ITS SENSITIVE DATA.
IN REGARDS TO THE AGENDA
QUESTION, EXPLAIN WHY NECESSARY
TO INVEST THIS YEAR OF THE
GENERAL FUND AND ARE THERE
ALTERNATIVES TO THE GENERAL
FUND, IT IS NECESSARY TO INVEST
IN NEW GENERAL FUND TO THIS
PROJECT IN ORDER TO MEET CGRTS
MANDATED INITIATIVES. ADDITIONAL
K¾T SECURITY REQUIREMENTS WILL
FOLLOW UP TO BUILD UPON THIS
INITIAL WORK. IF THE DEPARTMENT
DOES NOT COMPLETE THE INITIAL
REQUIREMENTS IN 2024, IT WILL
PUT OUR ABILITY TO COMPLETE
SUBSEQUENT REQUIREMENTS THAT
BUILD ON TOP OF THAT. IN THE OUT
YEARS. WITHOUT A NEW GENERAL
FUND INVESTMENT SENSITIVE AND
CONFIDENTIAL DATA WILL NOT BE
PROTECTED TO THE BEST OF OUR
ABILITIES TO DEFEND AGAINST
MODERN AND FORTHCOMING
CYBERSECURITY ATTACKS, WHICH CAN
RESULT IN DATA BREACHES AND
SENSITIVE CLIENT DATA OF THE
MILLIONS OF CALIFORNIANS THAT WE
SERVE IN CSS PROGRAMS. SO
INTERNALLY, WE DO NOT HAVE THE
EXPERTISE THE WORKFORCE OR THE
FUNDING, UNFORTUNATELY, TO, BACK
THIS INITIATIVE INTERNALLY TO
THE QUESTION MAY WHAT MAY OCCUR
IF THE REQUEST IS DENIED? WE
JUST HEARD THE ISSUE ABOUT ET
THEFT. RIGHT. AND THE IMPACT OF
THE CLIENTS BENEFITS AND THE
SOPHISTICATED TARGETING AND
FRAUD OF THOSE ATTACKS. SO WE
DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION
WHERE WE'RE STILL ON STRIKE. WE
WANT TO BE CHIP, TAP AND STAY
AHEAD OF THEM. RIGHT? SO WE
DON'T WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE
TOWARDS THOSE ISSUES. SO BAD
ACTORS CONTINUE TO BE MORE
SOPHISTICATED. SO WE HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.
BE PROACTIVE, BE AHEAD OF THEM
IN ORDER TO PROTECT ALL THE
INFORMATION AND DATA THAT WE
OVERSEE. IN ADDITION, WE WILL BE
IN JEOPARDY OF BEING OUT OF
COMPLIANCE WITH CGRTS MANDATED
SECURITY MODEL, IMPLEMENTING
ZERO TRUST ARCHITECTURE WILL
HELP PUT THE DEPARTMENT IN THE
BEST POSITION TO PROTECT THE
CONFIDENTIAL AND SENSITIVE DATA
IN OUR SYSTEMS. THIS REQUEST IS
JUST TO START THE PLANNING, GET
A ROADMAP AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S
NEEDED TO GET ZERO TRUST
ARCHITECTURE IN PLACE BEYOND
THIS, THERE'S GOING TO BE
ADDITIONAL WORK TO IMPLEMENT
THAT TECHNOLOGY TO GET THE TOOLS
AND THE TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE FOR
THAT ARCHITECTURE. SO IT WILL
TAKE YEARS TO GET THERE. SO IT'S
IMPERATIVE TO START NOW, GETTING
AHEAD OF THOSE BAD ACTORS AND
ENSURE SECURITY OF OUR CLIENT
AND STATE INFORMATION GOING
FORWARD. SO WITH THAT, I WILL
TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE. AND I'M CALLING
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. NOTHING
FURTHER. HAPPY TO ANSWER. BRIAN
METZGER LÀ OH ONE ALTERNATIVE TO
THIS PROPOSAL COULD BE DIRECTING
THE DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY TO
REQUEST INCREASED EXPENDITURE
AUTHORITY FROM ITS COST RECOVERY
FUND TO PROCURE VENDOR CONTRACTS
THAT COULD HELP PROVIDE
COMPLIANCE SERVICES LIKE THOSE
THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
CDC WOULD THEN BUILD DEPARTMENTS
FOR THOSE SERVICES, AND IF
DEPARTMENTS COULD NOT PAY FOR
THEM WITH THEIR EXISTING
FUNDING, THEY COULD COME FORWARD
WITH BC TO ASK FOR THAT FUNDING,
THIS MIGHT AFFECT, IN THE SHORT
TERM DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES COMPLIANCE, BUT IT
WOULD FREE UP THOSE GENERAL FUND
RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE
IMMEDIATE BUDGET PROBLEM AND
ALSO POSSIBLY STANDARDIZE THE
WAY THAT WE'RE APPROACHING
COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW
DIRECTIVES FROM CDC. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, WHAT'S
YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT LAO
RECOMMENDATION? YEAH, THAT'S NOT
CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE
GOVERNOR'S, BUDGET, BUT I'M
HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK IF NEEDED.
YEAH. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT
THAT. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE,
LOOKING FOR PENNIES UNDER THE
COUCH AND, YES, WE SAW A PENNY.
AND SO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE
CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME, GOOD
DIALOG AS WE KIND OF MOVE
THROUGH. OF COURSE, WE'RE STILL
LOOKING AT THE, WAITING FOR THE
GOVERNOR'S, MAY REVISE. AND SO
CERTAINLY AS WE START THINKING
ABOUT PRIORITIES, JUST WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO
LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE.
CERTAINLY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE,
IF THIS IS A WAY TO SAVE OR SAVE
, SOME DOLLARS, WE WOULD
CERTAINLY, POSSIBLY WELCOME
THAT. BUT I THINK ANOTHER
QUESTION IS THREATS CONTINUE TO
EVOLVE OVER TIME. DON'T YOU NEED
THIS INTERNAL CAPACITY, WHICH
MIGHT ACTUALLY BE CHEAPER IN THE
LONG TERM IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW,
IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE INTERNAL
CAPACITY TO CONTINUE TO DEAL
WITH THE ONGOING THREATS, THAT
WILL CERTAINLY HAPPEN. I MEAN,
DON'T WE WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM
THE CONSULTANTS ALL THE TIME AND
WHICH I'M SURE WILL COST US MORE
? RIGHT. SO LIKE IN THIS REQUEST
IS TO BRING IN THAT EXPERTISE
AND THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE
FIELD TO HELP US ASSESS HOW TO
GET THERE AND HOW WE GET THERE
COULD BE INTERNALLY WITH OUR
STAFF, AND THEN WE MAINTAIN IT
IN THE END. BUT WE NEED THAT
EXPERTISE TO COME IN TO TRAIN
US, HELP US ROAD MAP IT. WHAT DO
WE NEED TO DO TO GET US IN THAT
ARCHITECTURE, TO HAVE BECAUSE WE
DON'T HAVE THAT INTERNAL
EXPERTISE AND THEN WE TRAIN UP
OUR STAFF TO TAKE THAT OVER IN
THE END. OKAY, LEO, I WOULD JUST
NOTE THAT THAT IS, ONE OF THE
REASONS WHY THIS ALTERNATIVE
THAT WE'RE PROPOSING MIGHT BE
BENEFICIAL IS THAT THE EXPERTISE
COULD BE PROCURED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY, WHICH
CURRENTLY HAS A STATEWIDE
INFORMATION SECURITY ROLE AND
COULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
SERVICES THAT ARE BEING
REQUESTED IN THIS PROPOSAL, NOT
ONLY TO DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES, BUT TO OTHER
DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE TO DO THE
SAME COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES.
RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M JUST THINKING
ABOUT JUST ALL AND I'M SORRY
YOU'RE SITTING IN A SEAT RIGHT
NOW WHILE I PONTIFICATE, BUT,
YOU KNOW. YEAH YOU GOT THE SHORT
END OF THE STICK, I JUST, I
THERE'S HARDLY AN ITEM THAT
DON'T GO BY THAT WE TALK ABOUT
HAVING TO PROCURE CONSULTANTS,
HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTORS
AND JUST. I'M JUST THINKING
THESE. I DON'T THINK THESE
PROBLEMS WILL EVER GO AWAY. WHY
AREN'T WE BUILDING OUR INTERNAL
CAPACITY TO DO THESE THINGS
RIGHT. AND SO I WOULD CERTAINLY
LIKE TO SEE US MOVE IN THESE
DIRECTIONS BECAUSE I'M CERTAIN
THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
THINKING ABOUT ALL KINDS OF WAYS
TO MAKE YOUR LIFE HARDER. AND
I'M SURE THAT ONCE YOU PLUG ONE
HOLE, THEY'LL FIND ANOTHER,
RIGHT? AND SO, JUST WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE REITERATE THAT WE
WANT TO I PREFER TO INVEST IN
SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU
HAVE LONG TERM PLANS, BUT I'M
JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
WE CAN DO THIS. SO LET'S
CONTINUE TO FLESH THIS OUT, AS
WE MOVE FORWARD AND SO
CERTAINLY, IF WE CAN GET TO A
NON-GENERAL FUND OPTION, THAT'LL
THAT'LL BE PREFERABLE. BUT STILL
MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE
SECURITY THAT WE NEED, IN TERMS
OF KEEPING OUR DATA SAFE. SO I
REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND LOOK
FORWARD TO MORE CONVERSATIONS,
AFTER THE MAY WHEN THE MAY
REVISE COMES OUT. SO WE'LL HOLD
THIS ISSUE OPEN AND MOVE ON TO
THE NEXT SUBJECT. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. ISSUE
NUMBER NINE OVERVIEW OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
AND DEVELOPMENT
.
MR. WIMBLEY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
GREAT SO GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
AND MEMBERS. I'M JASON WIMBLEY,
ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
AND DEVELOPMENT. AND THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK
WITH YOU TODAY, SINCE THE AGENDA
DOES A GOOD JOB OF PROVIDING A
SOLID OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT
AND OUR PROGRAMS, IF I MAY, I
JUST WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE
QUESTIONS POSED IN THE AGENDA.
SO NOW REGARDS TO THE QUESTION
IN THE AGENDA ABOUT COMMUNITY
NEEDS. IT WON'T BE A SURPRISE TO
ANYONE IN THIS ROOM THAT WE
CONTINUE TO SEE CONSIDERABLE
NEED FOR THE SERVICES OUR
PROGRAMS PROVIDE. AS THE COST OF
LIVING INCREASES, AND ESPECIALLY
IN THE CASE OF OUR LIHEAP
UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. AS
ENERGY COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE,
THOSE INCREASES ARE HAVING A
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON THE
LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS WE
SERVE. AND BECAUSE FUNDING FOR
ALL OF OUR FEDERAL GRANT
PROGRAMS IS LIMITED, OUR ABILITY
TO ADDRESS THESE RISING NEEDS
WILL ALWAYS BE CONTINGENT UPON
THE LEVEL OF AVAILABLE FUNDING.
TAKING A BIG PICTURE LOOK AT THE
BUDGETS FOR CSD'S FEDERAL
PROGRAMS. WE ARE EMERGING FROM
SEVERAL YEARS OF SIGNIFICANT
FUNDING AUGMENTATIONS FOR CSPG
AND LIHEAP THAT CAME THROUGH
FEDERAL INITIATIVES LIKE THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT. IN
RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC. THAT
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING HAS LARGELY
COME TO AN END. AS A RESULT,
FUNDING FOR OUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS
IS RETURNING TO HISTORICAL, LOW
HISTORICAL LEVELS OR
NORMALIZING. THIS MEANS THAT OUR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND LOW
INCOME CALIFORNIANS MAY FEEL AN
IMPACT AS AVAILABLE SERVICES OR
BENEFITS RETURNED TO
PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS.
PROGRAMMATICALLY, OUR RESPONSE
TO LOWER FUNDING LEVELS FOR
PROGRAMS LIKE THE LIHEAP PROGRAM
MEANS MORE STRICTLY PRIORITIZING
BENEFITS FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH THE
GREATEST NEED FOR ENERGY
ASSISTANCE. THAT INCLUDES
HOUSEHOLDS WITH THE LOWEST
INCOMES, HIGHEST ENERGY BURDEN,
OR INCLUDE THOSE AND OR INCLUDE
MEMBERS OF THE VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS SUCH AS CHILDREN,
ELDERLY, AND THE AND THE
DISABLED. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO IS
IN THE PROCESS OF WINDING DOWN A
RECENTLY CREATED LIMITED TERM
FEDERAL WATER ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM. THE LOW INCOME
HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM, OR LOP, WAS ESTABLISHED
AS PART OF THE CONSOLIDATED
APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2021 AND
PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO
LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS TO HELP
THEM MANAGE THEIR RESIDENTIAL
WATER UTILITY COSTS. MODELED ON
THE LIHEAP PROGRAM, LIE WAS
SUNSET ON MARCH 31ST AT THE
FEDERAL PROGRAM DEADLINE. OVER
85,000 LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS
RECEIVED WATER AND SEWER BILL
ASSISTANCE UNDER THE PROGRAM,
WHILE THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR
LOP HAS CLOSED, CSD IS
DISTRIBUTING REMAINING AVAILABLE
FUNDING TO ELIGIBLE PROGRAM
ENROLLEES AS A SECOND BENEFIT OR
SEWER BILL BENEFIT. THOSE
BENEFITS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE
RELEASED IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS TO
UTILITY, AND WILL BE CREDITED
DIRECTLY TO ELIGIBLE LOW INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS ACCOUNTS. NOW, I WILL
PAUSE HERE AND ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, OMAR
SANCHEZ WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE. NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD.
ELIO, ANGELA SHORT, ELIO. NO
COMMENTS FOR THE OVERVIEW. THANK
YOU, MR. WEMBLEY. YES, I ONLY
SEE YOU ONCE A YEAR. THAT'S TRUE
. WHY CAN'T WE HANG OUT SOMETIME
? WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. WE
CAN. AND I CAN DRINK A COUPLE OF
MOUNTAIN DEWS WITH YOU. OH,
YEAH? YEAH, YEAH. ALL RIGHT.
DON'T YOU? DON'T PLAY WITH ME.
YEAH. ARE YOU TALKING MY
LANGUAGE NOW? YEAH. OKAY.
ANYWAY, Y'ALL WELCOME THAT, NO,
SERIOUSLY, I WANT TO, YOU KNOW,
I THINK THAT, THE KIND OF
PROGRAM THAT YOU ADMINISTER, I'M
WONDERING HOW WE CAN BETTER
UTILIZE THE EXPERTISE OF THE
OFFICE TO CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A
HOUSING CRISIS. WE HAVE A
HOMELESSNESS CRISIS. CGRTS CHILD
POVERTY HAS SKYROCKETED SINCE
THE FEDERAL CHILD TAX CREDIT
HAS, HAS EXPIRED. RIGHT? RIGHT.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO I WANT TO
THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN
BE DONE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE
ISSUES. THAT HAS TO PRIMARILY DO
WITH PEOPLE, IN POVERTY, PEOPLE
IN SURVIVAL MODE, OKAY, THAT
HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF NEEDS, I'M
WONDERING IF WE CAN BETTER
UTILIZE YOUR. I'M NOT. I JUST
DON'T THINK WE'RE UTILIZING YOUR
DEPARTMENT ENOUGH AS A STATE.
OKAY, WELL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH
YOU, AND WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT
THAT MEETING. AND I'LL BRING A
SIX PACK OF MOUNTAIN DEWS FOR
THAT LONG CONVERSATION. OKAY.
NOW YOU I GOT THIS RECORDING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS RECORDED,
RIGHT? DON'T YOU COME TO MY
OFFICE WITHOUT NO MOUNTAIN DEW.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S THE MOST
IMPORTANT PART ALSO IS, YOU
KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE SEEN ALSO
IS, AS YOU'VE WORKED THROUGH CAL
EITC AND WITH THE YOUNG CHILD
TAX CREDIT AND IT SEEMS AS
THOUGH YOU'RE THE KIND OF THAT
FUNCTION THAT WORKS WITH THE
FRANCHISE TAX BOARD IN TERMS OF
HOW TO MAKE ALL THAT STUFF
HAPPEN. RIGHT, RIGHT. TO PROMOTE
THE PROGRAM, THE PROGRAM, I
WONDER IF ALSO, WE CAN, THINK
ABOUT NUMBER ONE. HOW CAN IS
THERE STILL A PERCENTAGE OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE ARE, ELIGIBLE BUT
ARE NOT UTILIZING THESE VARIOUS
TAX CREDITS? AND, HAVE WE
REASSESSED OUR OUTREACH
STRATEGIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT
THAT, I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND, WE CAN
CERTAINLY TAKE UP THOSE
CONVERSATIONS AT A LATER DATE OR
LATER TIME, BUT MOST OF OUR
PROGRAMS, WE RELY ON LOCAL
IMPLEMENTERS TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROGRAMS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. ONE
OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT IS THAT
WE'RE USING ORGANIZATIONS THAT
ARE OFTEN NONPROFIT, COMMUNITY
BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE
CONNECTED TO THE VERY
COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE, AND
UTILIZE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES ON
HOW TO EITHER OUTREACH THE
AVAILABILITY OF THESE SERVICES,
OR TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LIMITED
SERVICES THAT WE HAVE, ARE
DIRECTED TO THE RIGHT
POPULATION, BASED IN THOSE
COMMUNITIES, WHICH OFTEN ARE
THOSE THAT HAVE THE GREATEST
NEED. SO WE CERTAINLY WILL
EMBRACE ANY, YOU KNOW,
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT
WAYS THAT WE CAN APPROACH
TACKLING THESE COMPLEX ISSUES.
AND FIGURING OUT WAYS THAT WE
CAN EITHER BETTER LEVERAGE OR
TIE IN THE PARTNERS THAT WE USE
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. OKAY, I
APPRECIATE THAT, WE WILL, MOVE
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM AND I WILL
SEE YOU IN MY OFFICE. YES. YOU
WILL, THE NEXT ITEM, PERTAINS TO
THE DEPARTMENT'S, BUDGET CHANGE
PROPOSAL, AND THAT CSD HAS ONE
BUDGET CHANGE PROPOSAL THIS YEAR
RELATED TO A FEDERAL TRUST FUND
AUTHORITY AUGMENTATION. IT
PROPOSES INCREASING THE
DEPARTMENT'S FEDERAL TRUST FUND
BASELINE AUTHORITY FOR LOCAL
ASSISTANCE TO ALIGN WITH THE
CURRENT FUNDING LEVELS FOR OUR
CORE FEDERAL PROGRAMS. THIS BCP
WILL STREAMLINE THE DEPARTMENT'S
ABILITY TO RELEASE GRANT FUNDS
IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION, TIMELY
FASHION TO OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNERS, AND ENSURE THE TIMELY
DELIVERY OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE
AND COMMUNITY SERVICE SUPPORTS
TO DISADVANTAGED LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES, OUR PROPOSAL
INCLUDES NO NEW FUNDING OR NEW
NEW FUNDING IS ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS BCP. I'M JUST, READING
THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
OMAR SANCHEZ, DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE, NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD.
ELIO YES, WE'VE REVIEWED THE BCP
AND WE FIND IT TO BE REASONABLE
FOR A FEW KEY REASONS. FIRST, AS
THE DEPARTMENT INDICATED, THIS
IS A REQUEST TO ADJUST, FEDERAL
EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY. SO
THERE'S NO GENERAL FUND IMPACT
OR ADDITIONAL COST. IT'S SIMPLY
THE AUTHORITY TO EXPEND FEDERAL
GRANT MONIES RECEIVED, SECOND,
THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE LIMITED
TERM, AND THE DEPARTMENT PLANS
TO REEVALUATE ITS NEEDS AFTER A
FEW YEARS, AND THEN FINALLY, AS
YOU HEARD, FROM THE DEPARTMENT,
THE INTENT IS REALLY TO ENSURE
THAT FEDERAL MONIES CAN BE
RECEIVED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE'S
BEEN A TREND THAT THE
DEPARTMENT'S BASE FEDERAL GRANT
LEVELS HAVE EXCEEDED ITS
AUTHORITY. SO THE DEPARTMENT HAS
NEEDED TO SUBMIT REQUESTS TO BE
ABLE TO GET THE NEEDED AUTHORITY
TO RECEIVE THOSE GRANTS, WHICH
HAS, YOU KNOW, WHICH REQUIRES
TIME TO DO, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE
DEPARTMENT IS ANTICIPATING THAT
ITS FEDERAL AWARDS WILL CONTINUE
TO BE AT THAT HIGHER LEVEL, WE
WOULD AGREE THAT IT MAKES SENSE
TO PROACTIVELY INCREASE THE
AUTHORITY AS PART OF THE BUDGET
PROCESS. SO AGAIN, OVERALL, WE
THINK THIS PROPOSAL MAKES SENSE.
WELL, THIS IS A GOOD ITEM
BECAUSE IT WAS SHORT AND SWEET.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE
WELCOME. THIS ENDS THE PANEL
PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR
HEARING FOR TODAY. AND WITH THAT
WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC
COMMENT. FOLKS, MAKE YOUR OWN
WAY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND
AFFILIATION. GOOD AFTERNOON.
REBECCA GONZALEZ WITH THE
WESTERN CENTER ON LAW AND
POVERTY. I WANT TO THANK THE
CHAIR FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THE
IMPROPER USE OF THE SAFETY NET
RESERVE. AND WE AGREE WE SHOULD
NOT EMPTY THE RESERVES, AND WE
ALSO SHOULD NOT MAKE THE DEEP
CUTS TO CALWORKS, BECAUSE THIS
IS A PROGRAM THAT IS SERVING
PEOPLE WHO ARE IN DEEP POVERTY
AND TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR
SITUATION FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO ECHO THE
COMMENTS MADE BY OTHERS TO
EMPHASIZE THAT WE SHOULD BALANCE
ACCESS AND SECURITY WITH THE
ROLLOUT OF EBT CHIP CARDS AND TO
MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE MADE
WHOLE. IF FRAUD HAPPENS. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. NAME AND
AFFILIATION. PLEASE MY NAME IS
JUDY JACKSON AND I'M AFFILIATED
WITH ME. YES, MA'AM. THAT'S A
GREAT AFFILIATION. I'M A
CONSUMER OF SEVERAL OF THESE
PROGRAMS. AND ITEM FIVE IN
PARTICULAR, I MOVED FROM ALAMEDA
COUNTY TO SAN BENITO COUNTY AND
I HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN
AND APPLY FOR EVERYTHING I
QUALIFIED FOR. AND I ASKED THE
SNAP PEOPLE WHY YOU COULDN'T GET
THE INFORMATION FROM THE OTHER
COUNTY, AND THEY SAID THEY
CLOSED THE ACCOUNT. THEY DIDN'T
TRANSFER IT. WHY IS ONE COUNTY
THAT HAS ALL THE DATA NOT GIVING
THAT INFORMATION TO THE OTHER
COUNTY? WHEN I CALLED THEM AND
TOLD THEM WHERE I MOVED TO, IT'S
JUST NOT RIGHT TO HAVE THE
CONSUMER HAVE TO START ALL OVER
AGAIN WITH ALL THIS PAPERWORK AT
THE AGE OF 78, WHEN THEY ALL HAD
THAT INFORMATION AND I QUALIFIED
FOR ALL OF IT AND TOOK ME OVER
THREE YEARS TO DO SO TO BEGIN
WITH, AND THEN THEY JUST
CANCELED THE ACCOUNT, AND I HAD
TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. NAME AND
AFFILIATION. HI, GABBY DAVIDSON
WITH THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION
OF FOOD BANKS. I WANT TO ECHO
BECCA'S COMMENTS FROM THE
WESTERN CENTER ON PROTECTING OUR
CALWORKS AND ALSO ON EBT THEFT.
AND THEN I JUST ALSO WANTED TO
ECHO CHEN TRACY'S COMMENTS ON
ISSUE FIVE REGARDING THAT THE
LEGISLATOR SUPPORT SUGGESTION
THAT WILL HELP ADDRESS OUR
COMMUNITIES NEEDS, LIKE YOU JUST
HEARD FROM JUDY, AND ALSO
ENSURING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE BENEFITS CAL WEBSITE, BETTER
INCLUDES THE PUBLIC AND PROVIDES
DATA TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
FOR THE INVESTMENT OF RESOURCES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEMOPHILA ATION PLEASE. TIFFANY
NGUYEN WITH SEIU CALIFORNIA,
APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION HERE
TODAY AND JUST ECHO THE COMMENTS
ABOUT NOT EMPTYING OUR RESERVES
AND ALSO PROTECTING CALWORKS AND
OTHER SAFETY NET PROGRAMS FROM
THE DEEP CUTS. AND THEN ALSO
JUST, AS WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS
WITH CAL SAU JUST MAKING SURE
THAT THE WORKERS THAT ARE
UTILIZING THE SYSTEMS ALSO HAVE
THE RESOURCES AND THE ABILITIES
TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO
PROVIDE FOR THE CONSUMERS. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NAME
AND AFFILIATION, PLEASE. YEAH.
KEVIN ESTÁN COALITION,
CALIFORNIA WELFARE RIGHTS
ORGANIZATION. WE OPPOSE THE $900
MILLION RAINY DAY FUND THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM
US, IN ADDITION TO $300 MILLION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET SHOWS THAT
THERE'S $9.4 BILLION THAT IS
BUDGETED FOR CAL WORKS. ONLY 4.4
IS USED TO PAYMENTS TO FAMILIES.
THE REST OF THE $5 MILLION 5
BILLION IS USED FOR
ADMINISTRATION. OF THAT 2.2, 2.3
IS USED FOR NON CAL WORKS
PROGRAMS. SO WHICHEVER WAY WE
TURN, THEY HIT US, THEY HIT US
WHEN THEY DO THE BUDGET, THEY
HIT US WHEN THE $900 MILLION.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANT TO
SAY IS ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE CHIP
AND TAP THAT CALIFORNIA HAS OVER
A THOUSAND WELFARE FRAUD
INVESTIGATORS AND COUNTIES AND
THIS SHOULD BE THE TOP PRIORITY
TO INVESTIGATE EVERY CLAIM THAT
COMES IN. THEY SHOULD GO TO THAT
STORE, LOOK AT THE VIDEO CAM,
SEE WHO'S DOWNLOADING IT. IT'S
VERY SIMPLE. AND CATCH HIM. THAT
WILL STOP ALL OF THIS. BUT THOSE
THOUSAND OR MORE WELFARE FRAUD
INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT DOING THAT
KIND OF WORK. THEY JUST
HARASSING POOR PEOPLE BECAUSE
THEY FAILED TO REPORT SOMETHING
OR WHATEVER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SEEING NO
OTHER MEMBERS WANT TO THANK
EVERYONE. AS ALWAYS, I WANT TO
THANK COMMITTEE STAFF ON BOTH
THE DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN
SIDE. I WANT TO THANK OUR
SERGEANTS. I WANT TO THANK
ADMINISTRATION, THE DEPARTMENT
OF FINANCE, AND LAO, WITH THAT,
NEXT TIME WE COME TOGETHER WILL
BE AFTER WHEN MAY REVISE COMES
OUT. SO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S
HYDRATED AND EAT WELL AND SLEEP
WELL BECAUSE, NEXT TIME WE COME
TOGETHER FOR IT'S GAME TIME,
WE'RE ADJOURNED