To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Social Services
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Approve the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) for California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve, and authorize the Chair of the Board to execute, four originals of the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for CalSAWS; and
2. Direct Clerk of the Board to route three fully executed copies of the agreement with original signatures to the Deputy Branch Director, Department of Health and Human Services - Social Services Branch for further processing.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund (1160 Budget Unit 511)
DISCUSSION:
On March 30, 2007 (item C-12), your Board approved the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for California Statewide Automated Welfare System Consortium IV (C-IV). Since 2010, Humboldt County is one of the 39 counties that have shared use of C-IV. C-IV provides eligibility determination and benefit calculation for public assistance programs. On Sept. 11, 2011, the California State Legislature adopted Assembly Bill (AB) 16 calling for “the migration of the 39 C-IV Counties into a single system jointly designed by the 39 counties plus Los Angeles County”.
On July 11, 2017 (item C-23), your Board approved the JPA for California Automated Consortium Eligibility System (CalACES) which included the 40 counties. For the state to continue to receive Federal Financial Participation (FFP) for the SAWS, and to comply with state and federal technology architecture standards, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) require that California implement a SAWS single system for all 58 counties by the end of 2023. All counties have been working together since January 2018 to create the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS).
With your Board’s acceptance of the CalSAWS Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA), procurement for the required migration development and implementation can proceed on behalf of all the counties. Parts of the development and implementation phase for CalSAWS are scheduled to start in July 2019. In order to use the new automated eligibility system, Humboldt County will be required to join the CalSAWS JPA.
By entering into the JPA, Humboldt County is committing to participate in the JPA. Each member county will be represented by their County Welfare Director unless the Board of Supervisors of the member county appoints one of its board members to serve as the member representative. The member counties of the JPA are divided into six regions; number of representatives per region is based on population size. Each director on the board will serve for no more than 1 year. The Board of Directors of the JPA will oversee the budget of CalSAWS, and reserve approval over any design, development and implementation changes and on-going maintenance of operations to CalSAWS.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
All costs relating to the travel for JPA meetings are paid through Social Services Fund 1160, Administration Budget Unit 511 and will be included in the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20. There is no impact to the General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing for and maintaining infrastructure .
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS)
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board may choose not to approve the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for California Statewide Automated Welfare System. This option is not recommended. If the county chooses not participate, then Humboldt County will have no one to participate on any of the CalSAWS committees or sub-committees that address issues or actions around the CalSAWS program.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CalSAWS Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: C-12, C-23
Meeting of: 03/30/07, 07/11/17
File No.: 19-322