Panel advances bill to remove California's 100‑hour CalWORKs disqualification rule

AB 1755 would repeal the so‑called 100‑hour rule, which can disqualify a family from CalWORKs if a primary wage earner averages more than 100 hours of work in a month. The measure was presented to the committee by the bill's author, who described the rule as an outdated penalty that discourages work and exacerbates economic instability in a high‑cost state.

Rebecca Gonzales of the Western Center on Law and Poverty, a co‑sponsor, told the committee the policy is rooted in incorrect assumptions about income sufficiency and that it "was adopted after the welfare reform era of the 1990s" and now punishes hardworking families. Multiple witnesses and coalition partners urged the committee to advance the bill, arguing repeal would reduce housing instability and prevent families from falling into more costly systems such as homelessness services and child welfare.

Committee members spoke in support and several offered to coauthor the bill. The committee voted to pass AB 1755 as amended to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. No primary opposition witnesses were recorded at the hearing.

Why it matters: Supporters say the present rule creates perverse incentives—penalizing families for working more hours while still earning too little to be self‑sufficient—and can push people into homelessness or deeper poverty. Repeal would align California policy with the intent to support, not punish, working families.

Next steps: The measure was advanced to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further policy and fiscal review.