Bill > AB553

This bill modifies California's existing law regarding CalFresh (California's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) by expanding the State Department of Social Services' mandate to maximize food choices for recipients. Specifically, the bill updates Section 18919.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to require the department to maximize all available food choices for CalFresh participants, with a particular emphasis on providing more flexible options for people facing barriers to traditional food access. These barriers include lacking kitchen facilities, having special dietary needs, or requiring specific foods for medical purposes. The bill recognizes that many of the hungriest Californians have complex nutritional challenges and aims to provide more dignity and equitable treatment by potentially allowing recipients to purchase hot, ready-to-eat foods using their benefits, in accordance with federal law. This change represents a shift from simply seeking federal waivers to actively working to expand food access options for CalFresh recipients.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB553