(a) Notwithstanding Section 11008, all lump-sum income received by an applicant or recipient shall be regarded as income in the month received, except nonrecurring lump-sum social insurance payments, which shall include social security income, railroad retirement benefits, veteran’s benefits, workers’ compensation, and disability insurance.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this part, for purposes of this chapter and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200), “income” shall be deemed to be the same as applied under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program on August 21, 1996, except that the following are exempt from consideration as income:

(1) Income that is received too infrequently to be reasonably anticipated, as exempted in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations.

(2) Income from a college work-study program under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act or Article 18 (commencing with Section 69950) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code or college work-study program, as established in the annual Budget Act, for individuals receiving aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200).

(3) (A) Except as provided for in subparagraph (B), an award or scholarship provided by a public or private entity to or on behalf of a dependent child based on the child’s academic or extracurricular achievement or participation in a scholastic, educational, or extracurricular competition.

(B) For purposes of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200), an award or scholarship provided by a public or private entity to or on behalf of a dependent child.

(c) (1) For purposes of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200), any income or stipend paid by the United States Census Bureau, a governmental entity, or a nonprofit organization for temporary work related to the decennial census shall not be considered income.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall be retroactive and shall apply to any income or stipend paid by the United States Census Bureau, a governmental entity, or a nonprofit organization for temporary work related to the most recent decennial census.

(3) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this subdivision by means of all-county letters or similar instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. These all-county letters or similar written instructions shall have the same force and effect as regulations until the adoption of regulations.

(d) (1) Any federal pandemic unemployment compensation, as described under Subchapter 2 (commencing with Section 9021) of Chapter 116 of Title 15 of the United States Code, is exempt from consideration as income and resources for the purposes of determining initial and continued eligibility and grant amount for the CalWORKs program.

(2) The exemption described under paragraph (1) shall remain in effect so long as federal pandemic unemployment compensation is exempt as income for purposes of establishing eligibility for the CalFresh program (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6), pursuant to the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 or any other law.

(e) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, for the purposes of this chapter and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200), guaranteed income payments shall be exempt from consideration as income and resources.

(2) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this subdivision through all-county letters or similar instructions that shall have the same force and effect as regulations until regulations are adopted.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 43, Sec. 41. (AB 120) Effective July 10, 2023.)