Title
Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services, or his designee, to sign an MOU with the California Department of Social Services and TALX Corporation to allow Monterey County Social Services employees to access the Welfare to Work Pilot Income Verification Program through the State Universal Member Agreement for the period October 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services, or his designee, to sign an MOU with the California Department of Social Services and TALX Corporation to allow Monterey County Social Services employees to access the Welfare to Work Pilot Income Verification Program through the State Universal Member Agreement for the period October 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014.
SUMMARY:
The Welfare to Work Pilot Income Verification Program is a 90 day pilot program sponsored by the California Department of Social Services that has been initiated to determine the viability of entering into a long term agreement between the State, TALX, and counties to provide the Work Number Service - an online employment and income verification system. Under this pilot, the State of California has entered into an agreement (the 'Universal Member Agreement') with the TALX Corporation regarding operation of the Work Number Service. Your Board's authorization to sign the MOU will allow the Monterey County Department of Social Services to participate in the pilot utilizing the State's agreement.
DISCUSSION:
This system will support eligibility workers in assessing customer eligibility for CalFresh and CalWORKs and it will help employment workers in CalWORKs support welfare-to-work services. The Monterey County Department of Social Services is requesting the authority to participate in the pilot program, pursuant to the Agreement MOU designed for that purpose, during the October 1, through December 31, 2014 pilot period.
Participation in the Universal Member Agreement with the State and the TALX Corporation will provide Monterey County Department of Social Services with a resource to verify employment and income of applicants and recipients of public assistance programs. By entering into the Agreement MOU, local eligibility workers and employment workers will have automated access to available employment and income data furnished to TALX by employers for use in determining customer eligibility for public assistance benefits and for supporting success in welfare-to-work programs. Use of information from TALX is subject to the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and customers will be noticed if any adverse action results from use of the information. Additionally, written authorization from customers must be obtained in order to verify employment and income through the Work Number Service.
If the pilot project proceeds appropriately, it is anticipated that a new MOU with the State of California will be required for continued use of the Work Number Express Service and that the State will distribute costs of the services to counties. At that point, the Department may return to your Board with recommendations based on participation in the pilot.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Information Technology Department and Purchasing have reviewed and approved the MOU and participation in the pilot program. County Counsel has reviewed the Agreement and MOU and has not approved them as to form due to the existence of the following non-standard terms: insufficient legal execution of the documents by the vendor; unilateral ability of the vendor to set/charge/change fees for services; limited liability of the vendor; limited or no indemnification provision by vendor of County; County required to fully indemnify the state; unstated (blank on MOU) current fees; unstated term of Agreement or MOU.
FINANCING:
There is no cost associated with this 90 day pilot program, and approval of this action has no impact on the County General Fund. After the 90 day pilot, it is anticipated that there will be a charge for continued use of the Work Number. One of the purposes of the pilot will be to develop methodology for distributing costs to counties.
Prepared by: Veronica Wells, Management Analyst III, x4415
Approved by: Elliott Robinson, Director of Social Services, x4434
Attachments:
Exhibit 4 - MOU, and the Universal Member Agreement, including all attachments
Proposed agreement is filed with Clerk of the Board as an attachment to this Board Report