Newsom Vetoes Bill to Expand Disabled Cash Assistance Program to Illegal Immigrants

A bill that would have expanded eligibility for the Cash Assistance Program for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Legal Immigrants (CAPI) program to include all eligible immigrants regardless of their legal immigration status was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom this past weekend.

Under Assembly Bill 1536, authored by Assemblyman Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), CAPI funding, which is a required State Department of Social Services cash assistance program for aged, blind, or disabled legal immigrants who are not citizens and cannot receive normal Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program funds due to their immigration status, would be expanded. Specifically, CAPI would expand eligibility for those regardless of immigration status, and would exempt those who are not qualified immigrants from having to apply for SSI in order to receive benefits.

The bill proved to be divisive throughout the year, only being passed last month in the Senate with 32-2 with 6 abstention vote and the Assembly with a 64-7 with 9 abstention vote. While opponents had decried giving more funds to illegal immigrants in California, other opponents had expressed that, while the program would have helped many who otherwise would not get government assistance, it would also be a huge burden on the state budget, which had been hit by a deficit of nearly $35 billion earlier this year.

Newsom, who has been on a trend of vetoing bills this year already due to budget issues, subsequently used the latter reason to veto AB 1536 during the weekend.

“I am returning Assembly Bill 1536 without my signature,” said Newsom in a veto message on Sunday. “This bill would expand eligibility for the Cash Assistance Program for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Legal Immigrants (CAPI) program to include all eligible immigrants, regardless of their legal immigration status.”

“While I appreciate the author’s goal to expand CAPI eligibility regardless of immigration status, enacting this policy without providing funding would not be prudent nor would it meet its intended purpose. My Administration has taken significant steps to support the undocumented community, including the recent expansion of eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status.”

“This year, the 2023 Budget Act includes $40 million to begin automation and outreach efforts to expand the California Food Assistance Program to income eligible individuals aged 55 years or older, regardless of their immigration status. This bill would result in significant costs of over $100 million General Fund annually, because CAPI is a state-only program. These costs must be considered alongside other budgetary priorities as part of the annual budget process. In partnership with the Legislature, we enacted a budget that closed a shortfall of more than $30 billion through balanced solutions that avoided deep program cuts and protected education, health care, climate, public safety, and social service programs that are relied on by millions of Californians. This year, however, the Legislature sent me bills outside of this budget process that, if all enacted, would add nearly $19 billion of unaccounted costs in the budget, of which $11 billion would be ongoing.”

As of Monday, it is unknown if Assemblyman Carrillo will bring back an updated form of AB 1536 to the Assembly next session.