California legislature approves $35 million guaranteed income program

Lawmakers in California, on Thursday, approved the first state-funded guaranteed income plan in the country.

The plan will allot $35 million for monthly cash payments going to qualifying pregnant women and young adults who recently left foster care. There will be no restrictions on how the recipients spend the money.

The measure passed unanimously in the state House and Senate, illustrating bipartisan support for the measure.

"If you look at the stats for our foster youth, they are devastating," said Republican state Senate leader Scott Wilk. "We should be doing all we can to lift these young people up."

Guaranteed income programs are gaining popularity across the country as cities in Florida, Louisiana, Washington and California move to implement them for families and individuals in need. 

The newly passed program in California will be organized through local governments, which will apply to the state Department of Social Services to receive funding. Local officials will determine the size of the monthly payments, which have mostly ranged from $500 to $1,000 a person.