Bill
AB 349
AB 349 keeps the $489 monthly foster-care supplement but requires it to be indexed to the California Necessities Index starting July 1, 2026, subject to annual funding.
Status: Introduced January 29, 2025. Referred to Assembly committees; (per materials provided) “Pursuant to Joint Standing Rule No. 14.3.1, no further action allowed.”
Primary code section amended: Welfare and Institutions Code §11465.
Summary — main purpose and intent
- AB 349 requires that the $489 monthly foster-care supplement currently paid on behalf of a child who is living with a parent receiving AFDC-FC, Kin-GAP, or (since 2017) ARC payments be indexed for inflation beginning July 1, 2026. The index specified is the California Necessities Index (CNI) computed pursuant to W&I Code §11453.
Key provisions and changes
- Amends W&I Code §11465(c)(5): retains the existing supplemental payment of $489 (originally added effective July 1, 2016) but adds subparagraph (B) directing that, “Commencing July 1, 2026, the supplement described in subparagraph (A) shall be adjusted by an amount equal to the California Necessities Index computed pursuant to Section 11453.”
- Leaves in place other existing provisions in §11465 concerning the uniform rate structure for licensed community care facilities, prior percentage increases, cost‑of‑living adjustments, whole family foster home and teen-parent supplements, and related administrative rules.
- Maintains that the $489 supplement is only payable if funding for it is appropriated in the annual Budget Act; indexing therefore affects the amount if and when funded.
Who is affected
- Children living with a parent who receives AFDC‑FC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children — Foster Care), Kin‑GAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program), or ARC (Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program) payments.
- Foster care providers (payments are made to the provider on behalf of the parent).
- County child welfare and probation agencies that administer AFDC‑FC, Kin‑GAP, and ARC payments (the bill may impose additional administrative requirements on counties).
- State budget/Legislature: actual increased spending depends on annual appropriation decisions in the Budget Act.
Fiscal and procedural notes
- The indexed supplement will increase over time with the CNI, raising potential future costs for the program when funded.
- The bill text notes it would impose a state-mandated local program to the extent new county duties are required; the text also states that no state reimbursement is required for a specified reason (consistent with provisions that sometimes limit Mandate Reimbursement Act liability).
- Implementation of any increases remains subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
Bottom line
- AB 349 preserves the existing $489 monthly supplement for children living with parents receiving certain foster-care-related benefits and makes that supplement subject to automatic annual adjustment for inflation via the California Necessities Index starting July 1, 2026, contingent on Budget Act funding. This creates a mechanism to maintain the supplement’s real value but could raise future state and county expenditures when funded.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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