The provisions of law relating to a public assistance program shall be fairly and equitably construed to effect the stated objects and purposes of the program.

No person receiving aid under a public assistance program shall be considered a pauper or an indigent by reason thereof, and no warrant drawn in payment of the aid given shall contain any reference to indigency or pauperism.

All aid given under a public assistance program shall be absolutely inalienable by any assignment, sale, or otherwise.

If the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare issues a formal ruling that any section of this code relating to public assistance cannot be given effect without causing this state’s plan to be out of conformity with federal requirements, the section shall become inoperative to the extent that it is not in conformity with federal requirements.

report was complete and accurate.

paragraph (2), a county shall comply with the semiannual reporting provisions of this section.

error, unless the overpayment is determined to be fraudulent.

Any special need allowance for mileage and for the expenses of the operation and maintenance of an automobile shall be fixed to operate in a uniform manner throughout the state by the department.

All money paid to a recipient or recipient group as aid is intended to help the recipient meet his individual needs or, in the case of a recipient group, the needs of the recipient group, and is not for the benefit of any other person. Aid granted under this part or Part A of Title XVI of the Social Security Act to a recipient or recipient group and the income or resources of such recipient or recipient group shall not be considered in determining eligibility for or the amount of aid of any other recipient or recipient group.

Except as basic needs are provided pursuant to a life care agreement governed by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 1770) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, to the extent permitted by federal law the director shall formulate and promulgate regulations which establish criteria for evaluation of allowances provided to recipients of public assistance under the following circumstances:

1. Applicants or recipients who reside in a facility operated by an organization that provides for any or all of the basic needs of the individual.

2. Applicants or recipients who reside under a living arrangement paid for and controlled by an organization.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each grant of aid under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 13000) shall be increased in the amount of two dollars ($2), as a basic need of the recipient. Grant increases provided pursuant to this section are specifically intended to assure that the tax shift provisions of the Property Tax Relief Act of 1972 will not work a hardship on welfare recipients. Such grant increases shall not replace, but are in addition to any other grant, including any cost-of-living adjustment or any grant for special needs for which recipients affected by this section are or may become eligible.

county treasurer shall make an agreement with one or more insured depository financial institutions participating in the Automated Clearing House pursuant to the local rules, and shall, by December 1, 2001, establish a program for the direct deposit by electronic fund transfer of payments to any person entitled to the receipt of public assistance benefits who authorizes the direct deposit of the benefits into the person’s qualifying account at the insured depository financial institution of the person’s choice. Each county treasurer has no obligation to determine whether the account at the insured depository financial institution of the person’s choice is a qualifying account, as defined in paragraph (3).

depository financial institution that is offered directly by the insured depository financial institution on its internet website or through its branches and that is in the name of the person entitled to receipt of public assistance payments.

(ii) The account is set up to meet the requirements for direct or passthrough deposit or share insurance payable to the person entitled to the receipt of public assistance payments by the Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation in accordance with Part 330 of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund in accordance with Part 745 of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(iii) The account is not attached to a credit or overdraft feature that is automatically repaid from the account unless the credit or overdraft feature has no fee, charge, or cost, whether direct, required, voluntary, or involuntary, or the credit or overdraft feature complies with the requirements for credit offered in connection with a prepaid account under the federal Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1601 et seq.) and its implementing regulations.

(iv) The account complies with all of the requirements, and provides the holder of the account with all of the consumer

protections, that apply to an account under the rules implementing the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1693 et seq.).

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when payment of aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of this part is made by mail, the envelope shall bear on its face:

This section shall be applicable only to those aid recipients under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) and Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 12500) of this part.

Alternate methods of providing assistance may be used for recipients of aid who are found to be unable to manage the cash grant to their own best advantage. Such payment may only be used when it is determined by the county director that the recipient has, by reason of his physical or mental condition, such inability to manage funds that making cash payments to him would be contrary to his welfare.

Aid under this section may be paid to a guardian or conservator on behalf of the recipient. If no guardian or conservator is available, aid shall be paid, in whole or in part, to some other individual who is interested in or concerned with the welfare of the recipient. In the absence of superseding federal law, the department shall make regulations for the payment of aid under this section and for the selection of such substitute payee.

addressed in a timely manner, as set forth in existing law, by issuance of a Controller’s warrant, those counties, acting as agents for the department, shall authorize payment to be issued by the Central Benefit Issuance System directly to recipients from a department account designated for that purpose.

recipient.

It is a cause for revocation of a permit or license by the department or the State Department of Health Services for any person, association, or corporation that maintains, conducts, or, as manager or officer or in any other administrative capacity, assists in maintaining or conducting any nursing facility, any category of intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled, or nonmedical board and care facility to obtain, as an additional cost of care, aid allocated to a recipient for his or her personal or incidental needs or to obtain and fail to deliver such aid allocation to the recipient. The department or the State Department of Health Services shall initiate license or permit revocation proceedings.

Aid granted to a recipient of public assistance shall not constitute a lien upon any property of the recipient.

The cost of hospitalization furnished by a county to the recipient shall not constitute a lien against the personal property or personal effects of the recipient, or against an interment plot as defined in Section 7022 of the Health and Safety Code.

The cost of hospitalization furnished by a county to a recipient, other than a recipient of aid to families with dependent children, on or after May 21, 1963, and any judgment obtained by a county against the recipient to obtain repayment of such costs, shall not constitute a lien against the real property of the recipient, and no lien shall be taken therefor.

To the extent permitted by federal law, income, including but not limited to seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) of any income, received by a recipient of aid under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 12500), or Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 13500) of this part shall not be considered income or resources of the recipient and shall not be deducted from the amount of aid to which the recipient would otherwise be entitled.

This section shall be known and may be cited as the Social Security Pass-On.

To the extent permitted by federal law the value of any loan or grant to any undergraduate student made or insured under any program administered by the State Scholarship and Loan Commission or a college accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall not be considered in determining eligibility or the amount of the grant.

To the extent permitted by federal law, any stipends, meals, transportation, or other income received by a senior companion pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 9520) of Division 8.5 shall not be considered as income or resources of the recipient and shall not be deducted from the amount of any public assistance or aid to which the recipient would otherwise be entitled under this division.