Second $600 golden state stimulus in California: eligibility and who would get it?

On 28 June, the California legislature approved a series of bills, including allocating funds to send another round of Golden States Stimulus Checks. These proposals put forward by Governor Gavin Newsom aim to stimulate the economy after it recorded a historic budget surplus.

 Who is eligible to receive a Golden State Stimulus Check?

The bill is the second time this year that both chambers in California have decided to send stimulus checks. The first part of a stimulus bill passed in February sent $600 to low-income residents making under $30,000 and other groups, including immigrants, who were left out of federal stimulus programs.

The bill approved on Monday allows for the sending of a $600 check to all those in the state with an income of $75,000 a year or less. Those who received a check during the first round are ineligible to receive another. Additionally, two groups, adults with dependents and undocumented families, will be able to claim one additional $500 check.

The program is valued at 8 billion dollars and is one of the measures Gov. Newsom had proposed as a part of the California Comeback Plan. However, with Newsom facing a recall, some leading Democrats in Sacramento recommended that instead of one large economic stimulus package, the various measures be passed individually or in bunches.

When will the payments be sent?

This is a bit of a complicated question. The state’s budget must be approved by 1 July, which is when Gov. Newsom is expected to sign the stimulus check legislation. In the case he signs the bill before Thursday, SF Gate has reported that the state “will make more information available on when payments will go out.”

What other pieces of Gov. Newsom’s agenda have been passed?

Also, on Monday, 28 June, the legislature extended the state’s eviction moratorium to 30 September 2021. The bill also “ensures that California quickly uses the more than $5 billion in federal rental assistance to help the state’s tenants and small landlords."

This legislation makes changes to California housing law and allows for rental assistance to cover 100 percent  "for both rent that is past due and prospective payments for both tenants and landlords.” The funds will be targeted to areas that have seen critical losses in income that have led to unsustainable amounts of rental backpay.

After the passage of the bill, Gov. Newsom reiterated the disproportionate toll the economic crisis caused by covid-19 has had on “many low-income Californians, tenants and small landlords alike.” During his remarks, he also thanked the legislature for their work to pass the bill which he described as the “nation’s largest and most comprehensive rental assistance package.”