SB-1099 • 2026

State and local public benefits.

Education Healthcare Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Reyes
Last action: 2026-04-22
Official status: Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how local governments will fund these programs or if it will change the number of people receiving aid.

Clarifying Local Aid Programs

This law clarifies that local governments can provide aid to certain individuals without lawful status in the U.S., as long as they meet eligibility requirements under federal and state laws.

What This Bill Does

Clarifies that existing authorization for local governments to provide aid, including health care, is consistent with the definition of 'state or local public benefit' under federal law.

Who It Names or Affects

Local governments (cities, counties, city and county, hospital districts)
Individuals who do not have lawful status in the U.S. but might qualify for aid programs

Terms To Know

Public benefit: Help or services provided by a state or local government to individuals or families, such as welfare, food assistance, and health care.
Indigent residents: People who are very poor and cannot support themselves without help from the government.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how local governments will fund these programs.
It is unclear if this law will change how many people actually receive aid from local governments.

Bill History

2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-04-21 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 3. Noes 0.) (April 20).
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 20.
2026-03-26 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HUMAN S. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on HUMAN S.
2026-03-09 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing March 25.
2026-02-26 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HUMAN S.
2026-02-17 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 16.
2026-02-13 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1099, as introduced, Reyes.
State and local public benefits.
Existing law establishes various public social services programs to provide eligible recipients with certain aid or health care benefits, among others. Existing law also requires each county to provide aid to its indigent residents who are not supported by other means under programs known as general assistance programs.
Existing federal law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), makes specified persons without lawful status in the United States ineligible for state and local public benefits unless a state law is enacted that affirmatively provides for that eligibility, and defines “state or local public benefit” to mean, among other things, any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other similar
benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit by an agency of a state or local government or by appropriated funds of a state or local government. Existing state law authorizes a city, county, city and county, or hospital district, at its discretion, to provide aid, including health care, to persons who, but for the previously described provision of the federal PRWORA, would meet the eligibility requirements for any program of that entity.
This bill would clarify that the above-described authorization for provision of aid is an authorization to provide a state or local public benefit, as defined by the federal PRWORA.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF