The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The federal government is proposing significant and fundamental changes in the structure and funding of social services by eliminating or greatly reducing many categorical grants and consolidating them into block grants to be administered by the state.
(b) There has been little public debate or discussion on the proposed funding cuts which will result in significant cuts in programs which currently provide jobs, income, food, and medical care to poor people.
(c) There currently exist no state statutes, consistent with federal statutes, for establishing need or directing the allocation of resources to categories of client populations to be affected by block grant efforts, and the state must act to so provide immediately.
(d) The uncertainty surrounding the substance of the block grant proposals and the proximity of the 1981–82 federal fiscal year does not allow the state the time necessary to develop fair and effective service alternatives without serious disruptions of vital services currently being offered to our needy residents.
(e) In order to serve the unique needs of California’s poor people, the state should continue, for the current year, to offer the services presently provided under federal categorical program grants.
(f) The Legislature must thoroughly review the use of federal funds affecting special population “categorical” groups in the State of California because of its commitment to maintain the efficient delivery of vital services to the most needy persons in the state.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that any provision of this article which is inconsistent with federal law shall not be operative.
(Added by Stats. 1981, Ch. 1186, Sec. 1.)