CalFresh Changes in H.R. 1

Currently, California has an ABAWD (able-bodied adults without dependents) waiver through January 31, 2026. No one in California is subject to the CalFresh time limits. Without the waiver, this rule enforces a harsh 3-month time limit on people who cannot prove they meet certain work requirements or exemptions. They are only able to get CalFresh for 3 out of every 36 months.

H.R. 1 Subjects More People to Time Limits:

H.R.1 Excludes this group from time limits: “Indians, Urban Indians, California Indians” and other people eligible for the Indian Health Services.

An estimated additional 303,000 individuals are at risk of losing SNAP eligibility because of these changes, and an estimated total of 610,000 individuals will be subject to time limits. This equates to a loss of $499.1 million in federal funds annually.

点击这里 to see rough estimates of the number of CalFresh recipients impacted by this expanded rule by county.

Learn more and find training and outreach materials 点击这里 as they are updated.

Currently, CalFresh is available to certain lawfully present noncitizens, such as asylees, refugees, parolees, battered noncitizens, trafficking survivors, and others.

Changes Under H.R. 1:

H.R. 1 removes eligibility for many lawfully present immigrant groups, limiting eligibility to:

• Lawfully Permanent Residents (LPR)
• Cuban or Haitian Entrants
• Individuals who reside in the U.S. in accordance with the Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreement

An estimated 74,000 noncitizens will lose CalFresh eligibility because of these changes. This equates to a loss of $133 million in federal funds annually.

Before H.R. 1 implementation, any CalFresh household that received an annual $20.01 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Payment (LIHEAP) payment automatically received the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA). The SUA is the highest available utility deduction for CalFresh, and it helps to ensure the maximum allowable household utility expenses are deducted when determining CalFresh eligibility and benefit amounts.

Because of H.R. 1, only CalFresh households with an elderly or disabled member will automatically qualify for the SUA., but every CalFresh household should continue to submit their utility expenses.

An estimated 18,000 individuals will lose eligibility for CalFresh due to changes in the Standard Utility Allowance, and 444,000 will likely see a reduction in benefits. This equates to a loss of $183 million in federal funds annually.

Currently, CalFresh benefits are 100% federally funded. Starting in October 2027, California will have to pay a portion of the cost of benefits based on its Payment Error Rate (PER). The PER is calculated based on the accuracy (overpayment or underpayment) of issued benefits, not only at the time of applying, but sometimes a few months later. In 2024, CA’s PER was 10.98.

Beginning in October 2027, the state cost share will be based on our 2025 or 2026 PER. The state, counties, and Community-Based Organizations will need to collaborate to find solutions to lower CA’s error rate. 

Currently, administrative funding for CalFresh is 50% federally funded and 50% state funded. In California, the state-funded portion is split between the state and counties: 35% is paid by the state and 15% by counties. Administrative funding helps to pay for state and county staff, call centers, EBT cards, and CalSAWS/BenefitsCal. It also impacts CalFresh Outreach, reducing annual federal reimbursement available by approximately $15M for allowable CalFresh Outreach activities. These cuts will further strain counties already struggling with capacity constraints.

Starting in October 2026, the federal government will be contributing less (25%) and states will have to cover 75% of administrative funds (in CA: 55.2% by the state and 22.5% by counties). 

This is estimated to bring $685.2 million in additional costs to the state ($474.2 million from the state general fund and $211 million from county funds).

Due to H.R. 1, all future reevaluations of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) have to be “cost neutral,” preventing any increases to the value of the TFP based on factors beyond food price inflation. Before H.R. 1, USDA had the authority to modernize the Thrifty Food Plan regularly to account for important factors beyond inflation that affect the cost of a frugal, nutritious diet, including changes in dietary guidelines, evolving food consumption patterns and preparation methods, and constraints of time-strapped working families. This change is an estimated annual loss of $11.6 million in federal funding. CalFresh Cost-of-Living-Adjustments will continue.

These changes not only impact CalFresh, but also other programs tied to the Thrifty Food Plan, including SUN Bucks and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), that many food banks rely on.

H.R. 1 eliminated funding for SNAP-Ed, which was known as CalFresh Healthy Living in California. This program provided nutrition education to CalFresh recipients. The California Department of Social Services submitted a plan to USDA indicating their desire to spend the rest of FFY 2025 funding through September 2026, but the request is pending, and going forward, no new federal funding will come in for CalFresh Healthy Living.

This equates to an estimated federal loss of $188 million annually, and millions of Californians lost access to nutrition education.