(a) Subject to the availability of funding in the act that added this section or the annual Budget Act, the department shall provide grants to organizations qualified under Section 13306 to provide free education and outreach information, services, and materials about services provided pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 13303.

(b) For purposes of this section, “education and outreach” activities means the dissemination of information or activities that promote the benefits of citizenship or immigration remedies, and explain eligibility to prospective United States citizens or prospective individuals eligible for deferred action, or explain to individuals their immigration-related rights.

(1) Education and outreach activities shall include referrals to educational or legal services that support the applicants’ eligibility for citizenship, deferred action, or other immigration remedies, and the importance of participating in civic engagement as a naturalized citizen.

(2) Education and outreach activities do not include representation as legal counsel that would assist in the application process for a prospective citizen or prospective individual eligible for deferred action or other immigration remedies.

(c) No more than 40 percent of grant funds awarded to an organization qualified under Section 13306 shall be advanced to that organization.

(d) The department shall update the Legislature on the following information in the course of budget hearings:

(1) The timeline for implementation of this section.

(2) The participating organizations awarded contracts or grants.

(3) The number of applications submitted.

(4) The number of clients served.

(5) The types of services provided and in what language or languages.

(6) The regions served.

(7) The ethnic communities served.

(8) The identification of further barriers and challenges to education, outreach, immigration assistance, and legal services related to naturalization and deferred action.

(e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 24, Sec. 42. (SB 89) Effective June 27, 2017.)