CalWORKs: temporary absence: immigration detention.

Corrected the phrase 'if both all of the following conditions are met' to 'if all of the following conditions are met' in Section 3(b)(1), removing a redundant word.

Corrected 'A Any written sworn statement' to 'Any written sworn statement' in Section 3(b)(2), removing a duplicated article.

New condition (C) added to Section 11269(b)(1): the detained family member must be otherwise legally eligible for CalWORKs benefits, except for their status of being detained. This means a person who would not qualify for CalWORKs on other grounds (e.g., income too high, not a citizen where required) cannot use this provision to keep the family's grant intact.

Section 11269(b)(2) changed from requiring 'a sworn statement... sufficient to establish a report was submitted that a member has been detained' to 'any written sworn statement... sufficient to establish that a member has been detained.' This removes the reference to a prior report and broadens acceptable documentation to any written sworn statement.

Removed the word 'unlawfully' from the detention requirement. Previously, only persons 'unlawfully detained' in a federal immigration facility qualified for the temporary absence exemption. Now any person 'detained in a federal immigration detention facility' qualifies regardless of whether the detention is considered lawful or unlawful.

Eliminated the Attorney General misconduct report mechanism. The prior version required that a report of misconduct by federal agents be submitted to the California Attorney General for a person to be 'deemed unlawfully detained.' It also required county human services agencies to inform households on how to file such reports upon request. All of this is removed.

Changed what a sworn statement establishes. Previously, a sworn statement was sufficient to establish that a misconduct report had been submitted to the Attorney General. Now it is sufficient to simply establish that a member of the assistance unit has been detained in an immigration detention facility - a much lower and more direct evidentiary burden.

Cleaned up the bill structure by removing a duplicate Section 2 that appeared in the prior version. The amended version now has a clear sequence: Section 2 amends the existing hospital-related provision to become inoperative on the effective date, and Section 3 adds the new comprehensive section.

The immigration detention provision no longer takes effect immediately. It is now delayed until July 1, 2027, or the date the department notifies the Legislature that the Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform necessary automations, whichever is later.

The requirement that a detained member be 'unlawfully detained' (deemed unlawful upon submission of a misconduct report to the Attorney General) is removed. The Senate version simply requires that the member be 'detained in a federal immigration detention facility,' broadening who qualifies.

Two new conditions for continued CalWORKs eligibility are added: (1) remaining members of the assistance unit must continue to meet eligibility requirements, and (2) if the detained member is held outside California, they must intend to return to the state upon release.

The Assembly version required a confirmation message from the Attorney General to establish a report was submitted. The Senate version replaces this with a sworn statement by the applicant or recipient as sufficient proof.

The requirement that county human services agencies inform and provide notice to households on how to submit misconduct reports to the Attorney General is removed.

The State Department of Social Services is authorized to implement the new provisions through all-county letters or similar written instructions until formal regulations are adopted, bypassing standard Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking.

The bill's structure changes from a direct amendment of Section 11269 to a two-step process: the existing section is amended to become inoperative on the effective date, and a new Section 11269 is added that becomes operative on that same date.

A new sentence was added stating that a confirmation message from the Attorney General confirming receipt of a misconduct report is sufficient to establish that a report was submitted for purposes of the unlawful detention determination. This makes it easier for families to qualify for the CalWORKs temporary absence exemption by not requiring a more formal acknowledgment.

The duty of county human services agencies was clarified. The old language ambiguously said agencies 'shall provide assistance to an applicant or inform and provide notice to an applicant or recipient household with submitting a report of unlawful detention on how to submit a report.' The new language simply requires agencies to 'inform and provide notice to an applicant or recipient household on how to submit a report of misconduct by federal agents to the California Attorney General,' removing the confusing dual obligation and the reference to 'unlawful detention' reporting.

The scope reference in the definition of unlawful detention was changed from 'this subdivision, chapter' to 'this chapter,' slightly narrowing where the definition applies.

The program name was updated from 'CalWORKS' (all caps) to 'CalWORKs' (lowercase s) in multiple places, and a stray letter 'A' was removed from the beginning of two subsections. Coauthors Kalra and Zbur were added.

Added the phrase 'For the purposes of determining cash aid for CalWORKs' to both subsection (a) and (b)(1), clarifying that the temporary absence rules apply only when calculating cash aid, not necessarily to other aspects of CalWORKs eligibility or benefits.

Changed the county's obligation from 'provide assistance to an applicant or recipient household with submitting a report' to 'provide assistance to an applicant or inform and provide notice to an applicant or recipient household with submitting on how to submit a report.' This gives counties a lighter-duty option: they can simply notify households about how to file rather than actively helping them do so.

Changed the term 'report of unlawful detention' to 'report of misconduct by federal agents' in multiple places, broadening what conduct can be reported beyond just the act of detention itself to include any misconduct by federal agents.