The department and the counties shall implement the provisions of the CalWORKs program in the following manner:
(a) The department shall issue a planning allocation letter and county plan instructions to the counties within 30 days of the enactment of the CalWORKs program.
(b) (1) Each county shall submit a plan for implementation of the CalWORKs program within four months of the issuance of the planning allocation letter by the department. A county may begin implementation of its plan upon submission of the plan to the department or the effective date of the CalWORKs program, whichever is later.
(2) Within 30 days of receipt of a county plan, the department shall either certify that the plan includes the description of the elements required by Section 10531 and that the descriptions are consistent with the requirements of state law and, to the extent applicable, federal law or notify the county that the plan is not complete or consistent stating the reasons therefor.
(3) If a county is notified that its plan is not complete or consistent, the county shall, within 30 days, resubmit a revised plan to the department for certification.
(c) A county shall begin enrolling all new applicants for aid under this chapter in the county’s welfare-to-work program no later than six months from the date of issuance of the planning allocation letter references in subdivision (a) or two months after the certification of the county plan, whichever is later.
(d) Funds remaining at the end of the 1997–98 fiscal year or the 1998–99 fiscal year from the funds provided to a county in those years pursuant to Section 15204.2 shall be available to a county until July 1, 2000, and may be expended only for the purposes set forth in Section 15204.2.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 229, Sec. 18. Effective August 16, 2004. Operative December 1, 2004, by Sec. 65 of Ch. 229.)