Article 8. Department Of Community Services And Development of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 8.

(a) (1) Although the economic well-being of the state has progressed to a level surpassing that of any other achieved in world history, and although these benefits are widely shared throughout the state, poverty continues to be the lot of a substantial number of citizens of the state. California can achieve its full economic and social potential as a state only if every individual has the opportunity to contribute the full extent of his or her capabilities and to participate in the workings of society. The Legislature hereby declares that it is the policy of the state to provide a range of services and activities having a measurable and potentially major impact on causes of poverty in our communities, particularly those areas of communities where poverty is an acute problem. Specifically, it is the policy of the state to assist low-income participants, including homeless individuals and families, migrants, and the elderly poor, to do all of the following:
  (A) Secure and retain meaningful employment.
  (B) Attain an adequate education.
  (C) Make better use of available income.
  (D) Obtain and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment.
  (2) It is further the policy of the state to do all of the following in assisting participants:
  (A) Provide emergency assistance to meet immediate and urgent individual and family needs, including the need for health services, nutritious food, housing, and employment-related assistance.
  (B) Coordinate and establish linkages between governmental and other social services programs to ensure the effective delivery of those services to low-income individuals.
  (C) Encourage the use of entities in the private sector of the community in efforts to ameliorate poverty.
  (3) The Legislature finds that it is the purpose of this article to strengthen, supplement, and coordinate efforts to further these policies.
  (b) In order to employ the resources of both the public and private sectors of the state, and to effectuate the purposes of this article, there is within the California Health and Human Services Agency, a Department of Community Services and Development.

Any reference in any provision of law or regulation to the State Office of Economic Opportunity or the Department of Economic Opportunity shall be deemed to refer to the Department of Community Services and Development.

(a) The department is under the direction of an executive officer known as the Director of Community Services and Development. The director shall be appointed by the Governor subject to the confirmation of the Senate, and shall hold office at the pleasure of the Governor. The director shall receive the salary provided for by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11550) of Part 1. The chief deputy director shall be appointed by the Governor and shall hold office at the pleasure of the Governor. The Governor also may appoint, to serve at his or her pleasure, one deputy director for the department.
  (b) Subject to the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500), of Division 5), the director shall appoint any other employees necessary for the administration and the affairs of the department, and shall prescribe their duties.

The department shall have the responsibility, and is hereby vested with all necessary powers and authority to do the following:
  (a) Recognize existing community action agencies, as originally defined by Section 2790 of Title 42 of the United States Code in the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and as superseded by Section 9902 of that title in the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-35), and as further defined in Article 6 (commencing with Section 12750) of Chapter 9 of Division 3 of Title 2, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations, as the operators of programs to serve the poor in local communities, and, where the programs are of a statewide or multicounty nature, other limited purpose agencies may be considered as program operators.
  (b) Apply for, administer, and oversee federal block grant funds, including, but not limited to, the Community Services Block Grant and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and other public and private funds designed to support antipoverty programs in the state that are not currently administered by other departments, and define and enforce programmatic performance and fiscal accountability standards for those funds.
  (c) Provide funding and technical assistance, directly or through grants or contracts, to community action agencies, Indian tribes, and other agencies that operate programs of an antipoverty nature.
  (d) Coordinate antipoverty efforts throughout the state, to the extent permissible under federal law, to avoid duplication, improve delivery of services, and relate programs to one another.
  (e) Maintain liaison with the Office of Community Services in the federal Department of Health and Human Services, county and city commissions on economic opportunity, citizens' groups, and all other governmental agencies engaged in economic opportunity or community service programs, or both.
  (f) Collect and assemble pertinent information and data available from other agencies of the state and federal governments and disseminate information in the interests of community services programs in the state by publication, advertisement, conference, workshops, programs, lectures, and other means.
  (g) Plan and evaluate long-range and short-range strategies for overcoming poverty in the state.
  (h) Mobilize public and private resources in support of antipoverty and community services programs.
  (i) Encourage participation by residents of poor communities in the development and operation of community action programs for their betterment.
  (j) Advise the Governor of his or her responsibilities under the Economic Opportunity Program (Chapter 34 (commencing with Section 2701) of Title 42 of the United States Code) and the Community Services Block Grant Program (Chapter 106 (commencing with Section 9901) of Title 42 of the United States Code), as well as any other federal law enacted with respect to meeting the needs of the poor.
  (k) Measure and evaluate, directly or through grants or contracts, the impact of this article and other poverty-related programs authorized by law, in order to determine the effectiveness of the programs in achieving stated goals, impact on related programs, and the structure and mechanisms for the delivery of services. All the offices under the executive branch shall cooperate and provide the necessary information to the director, upon his or her request, to achieve the purposes of this subdivision.
  (l) Promulgate regulations and negotiate and execute contracts necessary or convenient for the exercise of its responsibilities, powers and functions, and to ensure that federal and state standards of programmatic performance and fiscal accountability are met.

(a) The department shall develop and administer the Energy Efficiency Low-Income Weatherization Program and expend moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the proposes of the program.
  (b) The department may develop requirements, guidelines, and subgrantee contract provisions for the program.
  (c) Before a subgrantee contract is executed for the provision of local service, the department shall do both of the following:
  (1) No less than 30 days before finalization of the program guidelines, post the draft program guidelines on the department's Internet Web site.
  (2) Hold a public hearing to obtain public input on the draft program guidelines with notice of the hearing published prominently on the department's Internet Web site no less than 15 days before the hearing.
  (d) Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 does not apply to the development and adoption of program requirements, guidelines, and subgrantee contract provisions pursuant to this section.

The Department of Economic Opportunity, a separate, independent entity in state government, is hereby transferred to the Health and Welfare Agency, and renamed the Department of Community Services and Development. The functions, authorities, and responsibilities of the Department of Economic Opportunity with respect to the functions of the department are transferred to the Director of Community Services and Development. All functions, authorities, and responsibilities of the Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity with regard to the functions of the Department of Economic Opportunity are transferred to the Department of Community Services and Development.

(a) The Naturalization Services Program is hereby established, to be administered within the Department of Community Services and Development. The department shall administer the Naturalization Services Program to provide funding to community-based organizations to assist legal permanent residents in obtaining citizenship. The department shall seek input from stakeholders in designing the methodology for the distribution of funds appropriated for purposes of this section. The Naturalization Services Program shall be implemented to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.
  (b) In order to ensure accountability, effectiveness, and accessibility, the Naturalization Services Program shall emphasize both of the following:
  (1) Collaboration among grantees and other providers in their region, including the State Department of Education English as a Second Language and civic grantees.
  (2) Development of a referral system in each service area to ensure immigrants are informed about adult education, English literacy, and citizenship services in their region.

The Department of Community Services and Development shall have possession and control of all records, papers, offices, equipment, supplies, land, and other property real or personal held for the benefit or use of the Department of Economic Opportunity.

All unexpended balances of appropriations and other funds available to the Department of Economic Opportunity shall be transferred to the Department of Community Services and Development. All funds so transferred shall be for the use and for the purpose for which the appropriation or other funds were originally made available.