BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                              Senator Carol Liu, Chair
                                2015 - 2016  Regular 

          Bill No:             AB 1747             
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          |Author:    |Weber                                                |
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          |Version:   |May 31, 2016                               Hearing   |
          |           |Date:   June 22, 2016                                |
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          |Urgency:   |No                     |Fiscal:    |Yes             |
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          |Consultant:|Lynn Lorber                                          |
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          Subject:  Food assistance:  higher education students


          NOTE:  This bill has been referred to the Committees on  
          Education and Human Services.  A "do pass" motion should include  
          referral to the Committee on Human Services.

            SUMMARY
          
          This bill requires each public and private postsecondary  
          education institution that is located in a county that  
          participates in the Restaurant Meals Program to apply to become  
          an approved food vendor for participation in this program.

           BACKGROUND
          
          Existing law:  

          1)   Establishes the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance  
               Program (SNAP) and the CalFresh program which administers  
               the federal SNAP benefit program for families and  
               individuals meeting income and other eligibility criteria.   

               (Welfare and Institutions Code § 18900, et seq.)

          2)   Establishes the Restaurant Meals Program within the SNAP  
               program to allow eligible homeless, disabled or elderly  
               SNAP (CalFresh in California) recipients to purchase hot,  
               prepared food from participating restaurants.  
               (United States Code, Title 7, § 2020)  







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            ANALYSIS
          
          This bill requires each public and private postsecondary  
          education institution that is located in a county that  
          participates in the Restaurant Meals Program to apply to become  
          an approved food vendor for participation in this program.   
          Specifically, this bill:  

          1)   Requires each public and private postsecondary education  
               institution that is located in a county that participates  
               in the Restaurant Meals Program to do all of the following:

                    a)             Apply to become an approved food vendor  
                    for the Restaurant Meals Program, if the institution  
                    operates any qualifying food facility on campus.

                    b)             Annually provide all on-campus food  
                    vendors not operated by the institution with  
                    information regarding the Restaurant Meals Program and  
                    the manner in which to apply.

                    c)             If an on-campus food vendor has been  
                    approved to participate in the Restaurant Meals  
                    Program, annually inform students about the program  
                    using information provided by the Department of Social  
                    Services.  

          2)   Provides that this bill does not require an institution to  
               create, operate, or maintain an electronic benefits  
               transfer system on behalf of on-campus food vendors.  

          3)   Establishes the Public Higher Education Pantry Assistance  
               Program Account in the existing Emergency Food Assistance  
               Fund, and requires funds in the pantry account, upon  
               appropriation by the Legislature, to be allocated to the  
               Department of Social Services for allocation to food banks  
               that meet both of the following criteria:

                    a)             The primary function of the food bank  
                    is the distribution of food to low-income households.

                    b)             The food bank has identified specific  
                    costs associated with supporting on-campus pantry and  








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                    hunger relief efforts serving low-income students.

          4)   Requires the Department of Social Services to act as the  
               public postsecondary education institution's state entity  
               for receipt of matching funds if the institution is  
               successful in raising money for CalFresh outreach  
               activities and has secured a local governmental agency to  
               serve as the contracting agency. 

          STAFF COMMENTS

          1)   Need for the bill.  According to the author, "An increasing  
               number of students face homelessness and food insecurity  
               that, ultimately, hinders their success in college while  
               increasing the likelihood of an incomplete postsecondary  
               education.  In January 2016, the California State  
               University (CSU) released results from a study to determine  
               how well CSU campuses are meeting the needs of homeless and  
               food insecure students.  Student survey results found that  
               24% of students were food insecure.  Student food  
               insecurity and student homelessness issues were also topics  
               in November 2015, at an Assembly Select Committee on Campus  
               Climate hearing in San Diego.  The select committee heard  
               about issues related to student food insecurity and student  
               homelessness from colleges and universities in San Diego  
               County.  It became evident that every college and  
               university handles these issues differently."

          2)   Who is eligible to be served?  The Restaurant Meals Program  
               is restricted to people who are elderly, homeless, or  
               disabled.  This bill does not expand eligibility for the  
               Restaurant Meals Program to students who are not elderly,  
               homeless, or disabled.  Staff understands that eligibility  
               is determined by the federal United Stated Department of  
               Agriculture, and therefore state statute 

               cannot expand eligibility for the Restaurant Meals Program  
               to students who are not elderly, homeless, or disabled.  As  
               a result, this bill would apply only to individuals  
               (including students) who are elderly, homeless, or  
               disabled.

               This bill does not limit participation in the Restaurant  
               Meals Program on postsecondary education campuses to  








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               eligible students.  Therefore, all eligible recipients  
               (elderly, homeless, or disabled), regardless of whether or  
               not the recipient is a student on that campus, would be  
               able to access the approved food facilities on campuses.   
               Staff notes that a member of the general public may  
               currently access a food facility on a campus without being  
               a student, faculty or employee of that campus.
               
               This bill does not modify or expand eligibility for  
               CalFresh; a person accessing a Restaurant Meals Program on  
               a postsecondary education campus would have to be enrolled  
               in CalFresh.  

          3)   Restaurant Meals Program.  The Restaurant Meals Program is  
               an option within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance  
               Program (SNAP) program to allow eligible elderly, homeless,  
               or disabled SNAP (CalFresh in California) recipients to  
               purchase hot, prepared food from participating restaurants.  
                Participation in the Restaurant Meals Program by a county  
               is voluntary, and requires a county that wishes to  
               participate to submit a proposal for approval to the  
               California Department of Social Services (DSS).   
               Restaurants that apply to participate in this program must  
               meet specific requirements, including entering into a  
               Memorandum of Understanding with the county to delineate  
               the responsibilities of each entity.  Staff recommends an  
               amendment to require a food vendor on a postsecondary  
               education institution that participates in the Restaurant  
               Meals Program to meet the existing requirements and  
               standards for the Restaurant Meals Program.  This bill has  
               been double-referred to the Human Services Committee; due  
               to timing, this amendment should be adopted in the Human  
               Services Committee.

          4)   County participation.  Participation by counties in the  
               Restaurant Meals Program is voluntary.  There are currently  
               only six counties in California that have chosen to  
               participate:  Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego,  
               San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties.  A participating  
               county must specific requirements, including entering into  
               a Memorandum of Understanding with the food vendor to  
               delineate the responsibilities of each entity.  Staff  
               recommends an amendment to require a county that  
               participates in the Restaurant Meals Program to meet the  








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               existing requirements and standards for the Restaurant  
               Meals Program.  This bill has been double-referred to the  
               Human Services Committee; due to timing, this amendment  
               should be adopted in the Human Services Committee.

          5)   Qualifying food facility.  This bill requires postsecondary  
               education institutions to apply to participate in the  
               Restaurant Meals Program for food facilities operated by  
               institutions (not for food facilities operated by a  
               vendor).  This bill requires institutions to provide  
               information to food facilities operated by a vendor 

               about the Restaurant Meals Program and how to apply to  
               participate.  Should the next contract with the vendor  
               include a requirement that the vendor apply to participate  
               in the Restaurant Meals Program? 

          6)   Existing efforts on public campuses.  The University of  
               California (UC) launched the Global Food Initiative, and in  
               March 2015, the President of the UC allocated $75,000 per  
               campus to support the effort.  As part of the first phase,  
               UC Global Food Initiative working groups are developing  
               best practices, and the toolkits to implement them, that,  
               once successfully deployed systemwide at UC, can be offered  
               to schools and communities nationwide.  Many UC campuses  
               have food pantries and partner with local food banks.

          The Chancellor of the California State University (CSU)  
               commissioned a study to shed light on how CSU campuses were  
               meeting the needs of displaced and food insecure students  
               and to offer recommendations to ensure success and  
               graduation for these students. The study found, among  
               others, that student survey results showed 24% of students  
               expressing they had food insecurities; 11 campuses had  
               programs for food insecure students, ranging from small  
               food pantries to large programs and services; five campuses  
               incorporate students' needs as part of student success  
               directives and the university mission; and, students who  
               experienced food and/or housing instability reported high  
               levels of stress and the need for single points of contact.  
                 
               [http://www.calstate.edu/acadaff/documents/servingdisplaceda 
               ndfoodinsecurestudetnsinthecsujanuary20163.8.16.pdf]









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          It appears there is no systemwide coordinated effort to help  
               combat student food insecurities issues at the California  
               Community Colleges (CCC); however, some CCC campuses have  
               various activities in place to address the needs of the  
               students.

          7)   Fiscal impact.  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
               Committee, this bill may result in minor and absorbable  
               costs associated with applying to become an approved vendor  
               for the Restaurant Meals Program.

          8)   Prior legislation.  AB 832 (Weber, 2013) required all  
               convenience stores and bookstores located on campuses of  
               the CSU, UC, and the CCCs to accept the use of electronic  
               benefits transfer cards.  AB 832 was never heard.

            SUPPORT
          
          American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
          California Association of Food Banks
          California Faculty Association
          California Food Policy Advocates
          California Health+ Advocates
          California Immigrant Policy Center
          California State Student Association
          California State University
          Feeding America San Diego
          National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
          San Diego Hunger Advocacy Network
          Western Center on Law & Poverty
          Young Invincibles, West Coast

            OPPOSITION
           
           None received.

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