REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
February 10, 2026
FROM
JAMES LOCURTO, Director, Transitional Assistance Department
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Base Wage Data Sharing Memorandum of Understanding with California Department of Social Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding, including non-standard terms, with the California Department of Social Services for Base Wage data sharing, effective upon execution by all parties and continuing until terminated by either party.
2. Authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Transitional Assistance Department to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments, on behalf of the County, in relation to the Base Wage Data Sharing Memorandum of Understanding, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Director of the Transitional Assistance Department to transmit all amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: James LoCurto, Director, 388-0245)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as the recommended Data Sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) enhances the quality of life in our community by administering support programs for individuals in need of financial, nutritional, and/or medical assistance, while working with families and individuals on their path to self-sufficiency. TAD is committed to working collaboratively to deliver services accurately and efficiently, with a high emphasis on integrity, respect, and customer service. TAD continually evaluates its business processes to ensure they are meeting the needs of the community.
It is necessary for TAD to measure the effectiveness of welfare-to-work and employment services efforts of residents within its geographic area in order to provide valuable input into subsequent programmatic design and resource allocation decisions. Additionally, these analyses are a useful tool in developing caseload forecasts and adapting employment services programs in response to labor market trends.
The San Bernardino County (County) data does not currently include any information on employment or earnings of its program recipients, and the Economic Development Department (EDD) Confidential Data is the only accessible source for tracking the earned income of clients after receiving employment services.
The MOU with CDSS is the only mechanism through which the County would receive access to EDD data. CDSS shall facilitate the matching of client records provided by County to EDD base wage administrative files for this MOU. The process requires CDSS to transmit client records to EDD; EDD performs the actual matching and then makes the matched records available to CDSS for access and subsequent distribution to County.
Additionally, EDD files are the only accessible data source for tracking the employment and earnings of CalWORKs program recipients after leaving public assistance as well as unemployment and disability payments. Matching client data with the EDD Confidential Data will provide the County with robust employment and earnings data that can be tracked over time for specific groups of program clients.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is one of 16 departments and offices in the California Health and Human Services Agency. The mission of the CDSS is to serve, protect, and support the people of California experiencing need in ways that empower wellbeing and disrupt systemic inequities with a commitment to an inclusive, diverse, and equitable California where all people can thrive.
The MOU includes terms that differ from the standard County Contract and omits certain County standard contract terms. The non-standard and missing terms include the following:
1. The MOU does not adhere to the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policy 11-07.
• The County Policy requires partner agencies to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department.
• Potential Impact: The MOU does not include County standard insurance requirements. The County has no assurance that CDSS will be financially responsible for claims that may arise under the MOU, which could result in expenses to the County.
2. The MOU does not require CDSS to indemnify the County, as required by County Policies 11-05 and 11-07.
• The County standard contract indemnity provision requires the contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold County harmless from third-party claims arising out of the acts, errors, or omissions of any person.
• Potential Impact: CDSS is not required to defend, indemnify, or hold the County harmless from any claims, including indemnification for claims arising from CDSS’s negligent or intentional acts. If the County is sued for any claim, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages.
3. The term of the MOU is ongoing.
• County policy 11-04 does not permit indefinite terms or automatically renewing contracts unless approved by the Board of Supervisors.
• Potential Impact: There is no end term to the contract. Instead, the MOU becomes effective upon the signature of both the CDSS and the County, and the County may be bound to the terms of the MOU until terminated without cause with 30 calendar days’ written notice by either party.
TAD recommends approval of the MOU, including non-standard terms, as it authorizes the County to receive data from the CDSS in order to conduct the program evaluations described herein as well as establishing the terms, conditions, and limitations for the exchange of confidential information. This item also requests authorization for the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the Chief Executive Officer, or the Director of TAD to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel. The request for approval of the delegation of authority is due to CDSS’s short turnaround time for receipt of fully executed agreements and amendments.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on January 13, 2026; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 7, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Mead, Staff Analyst II Trainee, 386-9044) on January 8, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on January 21, 2026.