(a) The department shall convene a workgroup that includes, but is not limited to, the County Welfare Directors Association of California, representatives of county eligibility workers, the Statewide Automated Welfare System, and client advocates to consider changes to semiannual reporting with the goal of reducing the reporting burden on recipients and reducing the workload for county eligibility staff.

(b) The workgroup shall consider federally allowable reporting structures implemented in other states, consider recommendations in existing research reports, and receive and consider options put forth by workgroup members.

(c) (1) The consensus recommendations of the workgroup shall be submitted to the Legislature not later than October 1, 2021, and shall include details regarding potential implementation of these recommendations, including identification of those that the state may implement via state legislation or administrative guidance to counties, as well as those requiring changes in federal law or waivers of federal law. The report may also include ideas that were not consensus items with an opportunity for participating workgroup members to comment on those items.

(2) (A) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under paragraph (1) is inoperative on October 1, 2025, pursuant to § 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with § 9795 of the Government Code.

(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 11, Sec. 89. (AB 79) Effective June 29, 2020.)