17000.51. (Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 294, Sec. 84.)

(a) Notwithstanding the decision in Caulk v. Superior Court, CO15355, June 27, 1997, a county’s discretion granted pursuant to Section 17000.5 to include, as part of a general assistance aid grant, in-kind aid with a monthly actuarial value of up to forty dollars ($40) per month of medical care, was not intended, and shall not be construed, to do any of the following:

(1) Satisfy, in whole or in part, the duty of a county or a city or county to provide health care services to indigent and dependent poor persons under Section 17000.

(2) Permit a county or a city and county to cease providing health care services under Section 17000.

(3) Affect the eligibility of indigent and dependent poor persons for health care services under Section 17000.

(b) Subdivision (a) shall cease to be implemented if, and only to the extent that, a final court decision holds that subdivision (a) imposes a state-mandated local program.

(c) Subdivision (a) confirms, and is declarative of, rather than a change in, existing law, as provided for in Chapter 6 of the Statutes of 1996, which was intended only to provide a county or city and county with the discretion to reduce its general assistance grant level by up to forty dollars ($40) per month.