This bill would streamline the application process for many college students applying for CalFresh.
Sponsor(s): Alliance for a Better Community, California Competes, Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee, Southern California College Attainment Network
Position: Support
Status: Asm. Committees on Human Services (Hearing TBD) and Education (Hearing TBD)
This measure would urge the United States Congress to avoid any cuts to SNAP (CalFresh) which could harm the state’s children, older adults, and families, and impact the state’s economic well-being.
Sponsor(s): N/A
Position: Support
Status: In the Assembly, Passed out of Human Services
This bill aims to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents off California campuses by establishing a one-mile radius safe zone around schools, as well as safeguarding against the use of school data for deportation efforts.
Sponsor(s): State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond
Position: Support
Status: Asm. Committees on Education (Hearing 7/2) and Judiciary (Hearing TBD)
This bill would ensure parents and caregivers can have a meal with their child when they visit a summer meal site by requiring the State Department of Education to reimburse summer meal program operators for caregiver meals.
AB 79 (Arambula) – Public Benefits & Higher Education County Liaisons
This bill establishes a statewide knowledge sharing network of basic needs coordinators on college campuses and county liaisons of higher education to improve awareness of public benefit programs like CalFresh and CalWORKs among college students.
Sponsor(s): California Association of Food Banks, Center for Healthy Communities, Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organization, UAspire, The Michelson Center for Public Policy
Position: Support
Status: Senate Committees on Human Services (Hearing: 6/30) and Education (Hearing TBD)
This bill ensures that grants, awards, scholarships, loans, or fellowship benefits for education are exempt from consideration as income for purposes of determining eligibility and calculating grant amounts for CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits.
Sponsor(s): Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organization, UAspire, Western Center on Law and Poverty
Position: Support
Status: Senate Committee on Human Services (Hearing 6/30)
This bill would authorize counties to process public benefits overpayments like CalFresh through their administrative penalty system. By updating the law so overpayment cases can be handled administratively, county workers will be empowered to ensure reporting paperwork is corrected and overpayments are repaid, without traumatizing and destabilizing vulnerable families.
Sponsor(s): Western Center on Law and Poverty, SEIU California
Position: Support
Status: Two-year bill (not moving forward this year)
AB 1161 (Harabedian) – Public Benefits during Disasters
This bill would require CDSS and DHCS to provide continuous eligibility for public benefit programs like CalFresh to a recipient who has been displaced by or impacted by a state of emergency or a health emergency.
AB 661 (Lee) – Guaranteed Income Research and Expansion Act
This bill proposes a comprehensive study on the needed infrastructure, funding mechanisms, program design, and population prioritization for a permanent, statewide guaranteed income program to alleviate poverty and promote economic empowerment.
Sponsor(s): Western Center on Law and Poverty, GRACE & End Child Poverty CA, National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles
