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SCREENING FOR WORK REGISTRATION State agency eligibility staff must screen for federal exemptions from work registration, per 7 CFR 273.7(a). Describe how the State agency screens applicants to determine if they are work registrants. Screening for work registration is conducted by all counties administering CalFresh benefits. As outlined in ACL 20-10, CalFresh recipients are subject to work registration unless they qualify for an exemption. The county decides the work registration status for all members of the household upon CalFresh enrollment, recertification, and any other point where a household member’s employment status changes. This may be done in person or over the phone. The work registration status must be renewed every 12 months. As outlined in ACL 20-10, the CDSS implemented screening for work registration on February 6, 2020. Counties capture the individual’s work registration status in the eligibility system. The CDSS verifies the work registration process through Management Evaluations via random case file review. The CDSS provides additional instruction and technical assistance to counties when deficiencies are identified. Individuals are exempt from work registration if they are: • Under 16 or over 59 years of age (Note: a person aged 16 or 17 who is not the head of household, or who is attending school, or enrolled in an employment training program on at least a half-time basis is also exempt); • Physically or mentally unfit for employment; • Subject to and complying with any work requirement under Title IV of the Social Security Act, including California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids programs; • A parent of or responsible for the care of a dependent child under age six (Note: the child does not have to be a CalFresh member or living in the home); • Responsible for the care of an incapacitated person (Note: the incapacitated person does not have to be a CalFresh household member or living in the home); • Has applied for or is receiving unemployment insurance benefits; • A regular participant in a drug or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation program; • Employed or self-employed at least 30 hours per week or receiving weekly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours; or • Enrolled in a school, training program, or institution of higher education on at least a half-time basis. How does the State agency work register non-exempt individuals? As outlined in ACL 20-10, effective February 6, 2020 all CalFresh recipients are subject to work registration unless they qualify for an exemption. The counties decide the work registration status for all members of the household upon CalFresh enrollment, recertification, and any other point where a household member’s employment status changes. This may be done in person or over the phone. The work registration status must be renewed every 12 months. Work registration status is recorded in the individual’s case record. 1/28/26, 11:04 AM State Plan CA FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-cafy26stateplan//index.html 38/286