For CAFB’s full 2024 Policy Agenda and state budget priorities, go to our Policy Page.
Anti-Hunger Bills (2024):
AB 2150 (Arambula) – Public Benefits & Higher Education County Liaisons
This bill will require the California Department of Social Services to develop trainings and convene county human services agency staff liaisons to improve enrollment in public benefits programs for college students.
Patrocinador (es): CAFB
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Assembly Committees on Higher Education (Hearing: April 16) & Human Services (Hearing: April 2)
AB 1975 (Bonta) – Medically Supportive Food and Nutrition
This bill will transition medically supportive food and nutrition (MSF&N) interventions from optional services in healthcare through CalAIM to permanent Medi-Cal benefits.
Patrocinador (es): Food as Medicine Collaborative, SPUR
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Assembly Committee on Health (Hearing: April 16)
This bill would require at least one convenience or grocery store located on each campus of the California Community Colleges to accept the use of EBT cards.
Patrocinador (es): California Community Colleges Student Senate, Faculty Association of Community Colleges
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Assembly Committee on Higher Education & Human Services.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to partner with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and county jails to enroll eligible CalFresh applicants to ensure they can begin receiving benefits before reentry into the community from the state prison or county jail.
Patrocinador (es): Legal Services for Prisoners with Children-All of Us or None, Nourish California
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Senate Committee on Human Services (Hearing April 1) & Public Safety (Hearing TBD)
This bill would build on existing CalRecycle grant programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making the transportation of recovered edible food and the purchase or subscription to technology or software that improves the efficiency and tracking of edible food recovery eligible for grant funding.
Patrocinador (es): Author sponsored.
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Assembly Committee on Natural Resources
This bill would add diapers to the schedule of covered benefits under Medi-Cal for infants and toddlers with certain conditions. It would require the Department of Health Care Services to seek federal waivers to implement coverage for diapers under Medi-Cal.
Patrocinador (es): CAFB, GRACE/End Child Poverty
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Assembly Committee on Health (Hearing: April 2)
AB 274 (Bryan) – Simplifying CalWORKs/CalFresh for College Students
This bill would exempt any grant, award, scholarship, loan, or fellowship benefit provided for educational purposes from consideration as income or resources for CalWORKs or CalFresh purposes.
Patrocinador (es): Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations, u*aspire, Western Center on Law & Poverty
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Ordered to the Senate Floor (2-Year Bill).
A 2-year bill that would require free period products be offered in all women’s restrooms, all-gender restrooms, and in at least one men’s restroom in all state or state-leased buildings.
This bill would add menstrual products to the schedule of covered benefits under Medi-Cal. It would require the Department of Health Care Services to seek federal waivers to implement coverage for menstrual products under Medi-Cal.
Patrocinador (es): Alliance for Period Supplies, IGNITE, What We All Deserve (WWAD)
Posición: Apoyo
Estado: Referred to Senate Committee on Health (Hearing: March 20)