(a)
Any person who is found to be eligible for federally funded SSI by the department shall be required to apply for SSI benefits. An individual may continue to receive benefits under this article if he or she fully cooperates in the application and administrative appeal process of the Social Security
Administration. An individual shall continue to be eligible to receive benefits under this article if he or she receives an unfavorable decision from the Social Security Administration.
(b)
(1)The State Department of Social Services shall require counties with a base caseload of recipients of aid under this chapter of 70 or more to establish an advocacy program to assist applicants and recipients of aid under this chapter in the application process for the SSI program. The department shall encourage counties with a base caseload of recipients of aid under this chapter of 69 or less to establish a similar advocacy program. Counties may, at their option, contract to provide any or all of the required advocacy services.
(2)
The department shall provide assistance to counties in their efforts to implement an SSI advocacy program (SSIAP) for applicants and
recipients of aid under this chapter.
(c)
The State Department of Social Services shall ensure that its Disability Evaluation Division (DED) expedites the disability evaluations for applicants and recipients of aid under this chapter by utilizing its existing case records sharing procedures to ensure that information from previous DED evaluations for the Medi-Cal program are shared expeditiously with the federal component of the division that is adjudicating the SSI disability application.
(d)
The State Department of Social Services shall reimburse counties for legal fees incurred by attorneys or other authorized representatives during the appeals phase of the SSI application process only when the county demonstrates that the legal representative successfully secures approval of SSI benefits. The legal fees for each case shall not exceed twice the difference between the maximum
monthly individual payment under this chapter and the maximum monthly SSP payment.
(e)
The department shall report to the Legislature, by July 1, 2007, on the outcomes of county SSI advocacy programs, including the numbers of cases that transitioned to SSI and the amount of savings realized through the transfers.
(f)
Subdivisions (b) to (e), inclusive, of this section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2011.