Collection Guide
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Inventory of the California State Assembly Human Services Committee Records
See series descriptions for LP numbers.
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Table of contents
Title: California State Assembly Human Services Committee Records
Dates: 1976-2006
Collection number: See series descriptions for LP numbers.
Creator:
Assembly Human Services Committee
Collection Size:
31 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The Assembly Human Resources Committee and the Human Services Committee Records consist of 31 cubic feet of textual records
and audiovisual materials reflecting the activity of the committee in overseeing legislation and other matters pertaining
to public and social services in California. The records cover the years 1976-2006 and are organized into the following series:
Bill Files, Hearing Files, and Welfare Reform Deliberation Files. There are multiple files dealing with the welfare reform
deliberations that took place in 1997.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions will be noted in the record series descriptions.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], [Committee Name] Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary
of State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition and Custodial History
The State Archives received these records in accordance with California Government Code 9080(b) which requires legislative
committees to transfer their records to the State Archives when they are no longer needed by the committee.
The Assembly Rules Committee created the Assembly Human Resources Committee by way of House Resolution Number 208 on August
31, 1974. On January 12, 1981 the name of the committee changed from Human Resources to Human Services through House Resolution
Number 9. The committee reviewed bills concerning various public services including all aspects of welfare distribution which
encompassed programs like Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (later renamed Temporary Assistance to Needy Families)
and In-Home Support Services.
The committee membership fluctuated between six and ten members throughout the course of its existence under both Human Resources
and Human Services. Assemblyman Kenneth Maddy (Rep.) was the first Human Resources chair from 1975-1976. He was replaced by
Assemblywoman Teresa Hughes (Dem.) who served as chair from 1977-1978. Serving as the final chair for the Human Resources
Committee from 1979-1980 was Assemblyman Richard Alatorre (Dem.). During the 1981-1982 legislative term, the Human Resources
Committee became known as the Human Services Committee and the first chair was Assemblyman Bill Lockyer (Dem.). Assemblyman
Tom Bates (Dem.) then became chair of the committee, serving from 1983 until 1994. Assemblyman Tom Bordonaro (Rep.) then took
over as chair from 1995-1996, but was replaced by Assemblywoman Dion Aroner (Dem.) who chaired the committee from 1997 until
2002. From 2003-2004, Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (Dem.) chaired the committee and was followed by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans
(Dem.) who served as chair from 2005-2006.
The Assembly Human Services Committee considered many bills that drew significant public interest because of their focus on
welfare services. During the 1995-1996 session, the committee saw several bills on Assistance to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC). These bills dealt with eligibility guidelines as well as funding and how much should be granted to the program from
the general fund. The major bill regarding welfare came in the fourth extraordinary session of 1996. The bill (AB1XXXX) discussed
reductions to AFDC as well as Supplementary Income/State Supplementary Payments (SSI/SSP), Habilitation Programs and Regional
Centers.
The Assembly Human Resources Committee and the Human Services Committee Records consist of 31 cubic feet of textual records
and audiovisual materials reflecting the activity of the committee in overseeing legislation and other matters pertaining
to public and social services in California. The records cover the years 1976-2006 and are organized into the following series:
Bill Files, Hearing Files, and Welfare Reform Deliberation Files. There are multiple files dealing with the welfare reform
deliberations that took place in 1997. It is anticipated that the Archives will receive further records from the Assembly
Human Services Committee. Researchers should ask a reference archivist about recently received, unprocessed records of the
committee.
The majority of files pertain to welfare services. While many files focus on aid to children including services from oral
health to general requirements for child-care, there are also a significant amount of bills dealing with aid to adults too.
Another significant amount of bills pertained to services for the elderly. The Assembly Human Services Committee reviewed
bills ranging in topics from Community Care Facilities to In-Home Support Services. Aids in all its various forms were the
focus of the majority of the bills reviewed by the committee.
The aid to adults is what generally sparked the most controversy, as welfare seemed to be a key topic during the reform period
of 1995-1998. In order to comply with new federal limitations put in place by the federal Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Assembly Human Services Committee held numerous hearings, often joined by the
Senate Health and Human Services Committee and spent over a year compiling information on how to best reform the system.
Further accruals are expected.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Social welfare - California
Public welfare - California
Developmentally disabled Care
Related Collections at the California State Archives
Kenneth Maddy Papers
Teresa Hughes Papers
Richard Alatorre Papers
Bill Lockyer Papers
Tom Bates Papers
Tom Bordonaro Papers
Dion Aroner Papers
Senate Health and Human Services Committee Records
Senate Industrial Relations Committee Records
Tom Bates, oral history interview conducted 2001-2002 by Leah McGarrigle, Regional Oral History Office, University of California
Berkeley, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.
Kenneth Maddy, oral history interview conducted 1999 by Donald B. Seney, Center for California Studies, California State University
Sacramento, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.