Bill Text: CA AB608 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: CalFresh: school meals.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From Senate committee without further action. [AB608 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB608-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 608 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gordon
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Alejo)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cristina Garcia, Maienschein, and
Mark Stone)
(Coauthor: Senator Hancock)
FEBRUARY 24, 2015
An act to amend Section 18911 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to CalFresh.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 608, as introduced, Gordon. CalFresh: school meals.
Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh, under
which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the
state by the federal government are distributed to eligible
individuals by each county. Existing federal law requires that a
child receiving benefits under SNAP be certified as eligible for free
school lunches and breakfasts without further application. Existing
law requires a county welfare department to compile a list of
emergency food providers and make that list available upon request.
This bill would instead require a county human services agency to
compile a list of emergency and supplemental food assistance
providers, as specified. The bill would also require a county human
services agency to inform households applying for CalFresh that if
the household is certified for CalFresh, specified children in the
household are income-eligible for the WIC Program and all children in
the household are directly certified for the National School Lunch
Program and School Breakfast Program without further application. The
bill would also require the Department of Social Services to inform
all CalFresh households annually, prior to the end of the school
year, about the summer meal program using information the department
receives the State Department of Education and a method deemed
appropriate by the department. The bill would require the department
to implement these provisions by all-county letters or similar
instructions beginning no later than March 1, 2016, until regulations
are adopted, and would require the department to adopt regulations
on or before October 1, 2017. The bill would also include a statement
of legislative findings and declarations.
By increasing the duties of county human services agencies, the
bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) Over 2 million children in California live in low-income
families and are in danger of experiencing hunger.
(2) California is home to more children living in poverty than any
other state in the country.
(3) Child development experts have found that even one incidence
of hunger can impact a child's health and future academic success.
(4) Research conducted in California has found that most families
do not apply for public assistance until they are already
experiencing hardship from unmet basic needs.
(5) Federal law requires states to directly certify children in a
CalFresh household for the National School Lunch Program and state
law requires all public schools, except charter schools, to serve a
free or reduced-price school meal during the schoolday.
(6) In California, the process for a family with children to be
directly certified can take up to three months and a school meal may
not be received through direct certification while a CalFresh
application is pending.
(7) During the summer months, child hunger increases with the
absence of school meals and the lack of information about summer
lunch programs for children.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to reduce opportunities
for children to go hungry by requiring increased coordination between
CalFresh and child nutrition programs administered by the State
Department of Education.
SEC. 2. Section 18911 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
18911. (a) An application and an authorization for participation
in CalFresh shall be processed within a period of not more than 30
days from the date of application.
(b) The department shall develop written information that
describes the eligibility and verification requirements for expedited
service, the process for applying for those benefits, and the
availability of assistance in filling out the forms and gathering
needed documentation.
(c) Each A county welfare
department human services agency shall make the
material developed pursuant to subdivision (b) available to
each an applicant at the time the applicant
initially seeks CalFresh benefits.
(d) Each A county welfare
department human services agency shall, upon
request, make available the information developed pursuant to
subdivision (b) to community action agencies, legal services offices,
emergency food programs, and other community programs.
(e) Each county welfare department shall compile a list of
emergency food providers in the area served by the local CalFresh
office. The list shall be updated, based on information from the food
providers. The list shall be made available upon request, and, where
needed, may be used to refer individuals to emergency food sites
that may be able to provide assistance.
(e) (1) A county human services agency shall compile a list of
emergency and supplemental food assistance providers, including local
nutrition assistance programs authorized by Chapter II (commencing
with Section 210.1) of Subtitle B of Title 7 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, in the area served by the local CalFresh office. The
list shall be updated, based on information the county receives from
emergency and supplemental food assistance providers, cities, school
districts, summer lunch providers, the State Department of Education,
and the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC Program). The list shall be made
available to households applying for CalFresh.
(2) A county human services agency shall inform households
applying for CalFresh that if the household is certified for
CalFresh, children under five years of age in the household are
income-eligible for the WIC Program, pursuant to Section 246.7 of
Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and all children in the
household are directly certified for the National School Lunch
Program and the School Breakfast Program without further application,
pursuant to Section 245.6 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
(f) Each A county welfare
department human services agency shall make
available to CalFresh applicants, upon request, nonpromotional
information that contains addresses and phone numbers of local legal
services and welfare rights organizations.
(g) The State Department of Social Services shall inform all
CalFresh households annually, prior to the end of the school year,
about the summer meal program using information the department
receives from the State Department of Education and a method deemed
appropriate by the department.
SEC. 3. Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the
Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code),
the department shall implement this act by all-county letters or
similar instructions beginning no later than March 1, 2016, until
regulations are adopted. The department shall adopt regulations
implementing this act on or before October 1, 2017.
SEC. 4. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.
