California lawmakers on Thursday approved the nation’s first state-funded guaranteed income plan that would distribute $35 million in monthly cash payments to eligible pregnant people and young adults who recently left foster care.
The taxpayer-funded plan was approved unanimously in both chambers—36–0 in the Senate and 64–0 in the Assembly—and now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk to be signed into law.
There will be no restrictions on how eligible individuals spend the money. The plan aims to help recipients transition to life on their own.
“If you look at the stats for our foster youth, they are devastating,” Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk said in a statement. “We should be doing all we can to lift these young people up.”
Local governments and organizations will apply for the money and run their programs. The state Department of Social Services will decide who gets funding. California lawmakers left it up to local officials to determine the size of the monthly payments, which generally range from $500 to $1,000 in existing programs around the country. – READ MORE
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