BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1400|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1400
Author: Assembly Human Services Committee, et al.
Amended: 6/16/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/28/11
AYES: Liu, Emmerson, Berryhill, Hancock, Strickland,
Wright, Yee
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 68-9, 5/23/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : CalFresh
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill brings code references to CalFresh up
to date and makes technical changes to bring other code
sections up to date.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Establishes in federal law, with conforming state
statutes, a program to provide eligible persons with a
benefit, in the form of an account accessed with an
electronic benefit transfer card, to purchase food. It
has been called "food stamps" and is now known, at the
federal level, as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program.
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2. Requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to
propose a new name for the food stamp program in
California by July 1, 2009; it is now called CalFresh in
California.
3. Directs DSS to submit a report to the Legislature, by
May 1, 2000, estimating the number of counties that may
opt to issue cash benefits using electronic benefits
transfer technology.
4. Establishes the California Health and Human Services
Agency and provides that the governor shall appoint a
secretary to lead it. The agency was at one time named
the California Health and Welfare Agency.
5. Establishes a welfare reform steering committee and
directs it to report, by spring of 1998, recommended
alternative ways to budget for the administration of the
state's program to aid families with dependent children,
now called California Work Opportunity and
Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs).
6. Suspends an adjustment to the maximum aid payment in
CalWORKs for the first three months of the 2004-05
fiscal year.
7. Establishes rates for foster care group homes and
includes in statute specific change for the years 1998
through 2001.
8. Directs DSS to revise data collection, by July 1, 1998,
to reflect changes in welfare programs brought about by
federal welfare reform.
9. Directs DSS to complete an evaluation of the Cal-Learn
program by
July 1, 2000.
This bill:
1. Deletes out-dated code sections.
2. Corrects references to the California Health and Human
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Services Agency.
3. States that the name of SNAP, as administered in
California, shall be CalFresh.
4. Specifies that any reference in any other law to the
food stamp program shall refer to CalFresh and to the
CalFresh program.
Background
The U.S. Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-246), that included a provision
to rename the federal food stamp program as the
supplemental nutrition assistance program or SNAP. The act
also gave states the option to rename their programs.
States could choose to use the new federal name, SNAP, or
create their own. California chose to explore other naming
options.
AB 433 (Beall), Chapter 625, Statutes of 2008, requires DSS
to rename the food stamp program in consultation with a
stakeholder group. The program had evolved over the past
several decades, and benefits have not been provided as
"stamps" since the 1940s, and now are delivered through an
electronic benefit transfer card which can be used like a
credit card at most food retailers. There was also an
increased public awareness and interest in using the
program to promote healthier food purchases to reduce
incidence of obesity. Additionally, proponents of a name
change believed that the continued identification of the
program as a "welfare" rather than a "food and nutrition"
program played a role in its low participation rate: in
California, approximately half of those who are eligible
for the program are not participating.
In renaming the program, DSS was to reflect on more of the
following concepts:
1. Food stamps are no longer delivered by stamps;
2. Food stamps support healthy living;
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3. Food stamps are important to agriculture in California;
and,
4. Food stamps would be better viewed as a health and
nutrition program than as a welfare program.
In 2009, DSS convened a diverse group of stakeholders to
develop the new name, and included representatives from
agencies working to improve health and reduce diet-related
illnesses. DSS also conducted focus groups to test the
impact the new name would have on improving the perception
of the program among low-income residents, and on
increasing program participation. The process was funded
with private dollars.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 68-9, 5/23/11
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Davis, Dickinson, Eng,
Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth Gaines,
Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi,
Roger Hernández, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries,
Jones, Lara, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,
Mitchell, Monning, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel
Pérez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams,
Yamada, John A. Pérez
NOES: Donnelly, Garrick, Halderman, Knight, Mansoor,
Miller, Morrell, Nielsen, Norby
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cook, Gorell, Grove
CTW:kc 6/29/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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