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All County Letter No. 25-93 Page Eight Counties must not take any negative action related to the time limit or work requirements on a case, including applying a countable month toward the ABAWD time limit, reducing benefits, or closing a case due to ineligibility, until an individual who meets the new definition of an ABAWD has been re-screened under the new and modified time limit exemption criteria under HR1 and has been informed of the ABAWD time limit and work requirements. For the purpose of this letter, an “HR1 compliant exemption screening” refers to an exemption screening that assess an induvial for an exemption using the new and modified time limit exemption criteria under HR1. Effective June 1, 2026 and moving forward, counties must do the following: EXEMPTION SCREENING Per 7 CFR 273.24(k), counties must screen for an exemption from work registration and the ABAWD time limit before the time limit or any countable month can be applied. Counties must screen for exemptions at both certification and recertification. This exemption screening must be complete or offered voluntarily if an individual discloses they may meet the criteria for an exemption. Per ACL No. 19-93, counties must screen each household member individually. Counties must not solely rely on information available in CalSAWS to determine if an individual meets the criteria for an exemption from the ABAWD time limit. A full screening is required to ensure that all available exemptions are reviewed and captured in the system. Counties must ensure that all applicable exemptions are entered into CalSAWS and documented in the case record when an ABAWD qualifies for more than one exemption. Ongoing Households On June 1, 2026, counties will have the ability to review ongoing cases in CalSAWS based on the updated policy under HR1. Beginning June 1, 2026, ongoing CalFresh households must complete an HR1 compliant exemption screening at their next recertification, and every recertification thereafter. Meaning, this change is effective for all ongoing households with recertifications due in June 2026 and thereafter. Counties must not assign a countable month until a HR 1 compliant exemption screening is complete, and only if the individual does not meet the criteria for an exemption or is not complying with the ABAWD work requirements. Federal regulations at 7 CFR 273.24(k) require counties to screen ABAWDs for all current exemptions before assigning countable months. Because exemption screening completed before June 1, 2026 does not reflect the new and modified exemption criteria under HR1, counties must rescreen all ongoing households with recertification due June 1, 2026 and thereafter.