The 2025-26 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 6, 2025 - Finally, while the proposed budget initially appears reasonable, we do flag some outstanding questions we have about some potential cost pressures we will be monitoring. Background Overview of the IHSS Program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5009

The 2025-26 Budget: The California State Payroll System IT Project

Mar 7, 2025 - When will the Legislature know the final composition of the onboarding department waves and their onboarding schedule? Impacts of Collective Bargaining on Project Activities Needs to Be Well Understood.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5011

Trends in CalWORKs: Participant Characteristics

Jun 16, 2025 - (However, California was notified in January 2025 that its 2026 TANF grant would be reduced by about $20 million as the state’s final WPR penalty for failing to meet the two‑parent WPR requirements in 2012 through 2014.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5057

The 2025-26 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 19, 2025 - As part of the 2018-19 Budget Act , the Legislature set a goal to increase CalWORKs grants to 50  percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) for a family that is one person larger than the AU size (to account for CalWORKs households in which the actual family size is larger than the CalWORKs AU).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4969

The 2025-26 Budget: CWS-CARES

Mar 5, 2025 - The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 expands the allowable uses of federal Title IV-E funding to include evidence-based and federally approved services to help prevent children and families from entering (or re-entering) the foster care system.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5006

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - Finally, the Governor sets the balance of the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties to $4.5   billion —somewhat higher than the level enacted by recent budgets. Revenue Estimates Reasonable, but Risks Must Be Kept in Focus.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

Preliminary Assessment of Significant Changes to State's Technology Project Approval and Oversight Processes

Apr 29, 2025 - The administration launched an initial version of the PDL process in February, and expects to launch a final version of the PDL in July. While the process currently only applies to GenAI projects, the administration expects to add additional technology projects (including state IT projects) to PDL in the future.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5034

The 2025-26 Budget: Child Welfare

Feb 13, 2025 - These program changes do not require a federal waiver to implement but are intended to support these Medi-Cal initiatives overall. Child and Family Team (CFT) Meetings for Family Maintenance (FM) Cases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4962

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Federal CalWORKs Pilot

Feb 21, 2025 - If adult participants do not meet the WTW requirements, they may be sanctioned, leading to grant reductions. The Federal Government Has Historically Measured Program Success Through Work Participation Rate (WPR) Requirements.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4978

The 2025-26 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 19, 2025 - Finally, as mentioned, maximum benefit amounts increased in the last five years. This increase in benefits also may have made the program more attractive to recipients relative to the administrative requirements to enroll, m aking some recipients potentially more likely to enroll or maintain enrollment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4971