Right Column
About Our Paraphrased Regulations (ParaRegs)
The Paraphrased Regulations (ParaRegs) are edited statements of the law applicable to the public assistance hearings handled by the State Hearings Division of the California Department of Social Services. ParaRegs are created by State Hearings Division staff for use by State Hearings Division staff, primarily the Administrative Law Judges who use the ParaRegs when preparing decisions.
We have made our ParaRegs available on our web site for claimants, counties, authorized representatives, and others involved in our hearing process.
ParaRegs include edited statements taken from many sources: federal and state case law (court decisions), federal Social Security Rulings, federal statutes and regulations, the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), the California Constitution, California statutes and regulations, the Manual of Criteria for Medi-Cal Authorization, the Denti-Cal Provider manual, the Medi-Cal Eligibility Procedures Manual (MEPM), All County Letters and Information Notices issued by the California Department of Social Services, All County Welfare Director’s Letters issued by the California Department of Health Services, the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual IV, Merck Manual, and other legal and medical reference books.
While the ParaRegs include selections from all these sources, the majority of ParaRegs are edited versions of the regulations issued by the California Department of Social Services and the California Department of Health Services.
Because our ParaRegs are edited versions of selected law, they are not a substitute for the actual law. Do NOT rely solely on our ParaRegs – especially when preparing for a hearing. It is always a good idea to research the actual regulation, statute, court case, or other citation.
- ParaRegs DO NOT cover every possible issue or situation that may arise in a public assistance hearing
- ParaRegs usually set forth the general rule for a particular situation – NOT the exceptions to the general rule
ParaRegs do not necessarily reflect the policy of the California Department of Social Services or the California Department of Health Services.