BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 708
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Date of Hearing: July 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 708
(Mendoza) - As Amended July 9, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes requirements for school districts and
county offices of education (COEs), if they choose to provide an
online application for free or reduced-price meals (FRPM).
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Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the governing board of a school district and the
county superintendent of schools to make paper applications
for FRPM available to pupils at all times during each regular
schoolday. Authorizes electronic applications to be made
available, provided that the online application complies with
specified criteria.
2)Specifies that if the school district, county office of
education (COE), or school food service personnel chooses to
provide online FRPM applications, the application must comply
with all of the following requirements:
a) Include a link to translated applications posted by the
United States Department of Agriculture, with instructions
in that language that inform the applicant how to submit
the application.
b) Require completion of only those questions that are
necessary for determining eligibility.
c) Include clear instructions for families that are
homeless or are migrants.
d) Comply with the privacy rights and disclosure
protections established under federal law.
e) Include links to all of the following: the online
application to CalFresh; the online single state
application for health care; the website maintained by the
State Department of Public Health that connects families to
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the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants and Children; and, the web site of a summer lunch
program authorized to participate within the city or school
district.
3)Prohibits an online FRPM application to be made available
online or made accessible online if the application allows for
the information provided by an applicant to be used by a
private entity for any purpose not related to the
administration of a school food program, or if the online
application requires an applicant to waive any right or to
create a user account in order to submit the application.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Potential Proposition 98/GF reimbursable state mandated costs,
likely minor, for school districts and county offices of
education (COEs) to provide paper copies of FRPM applications
available at all times during the regular school day. Current
law requires LEAs to provide access to FRPM applications but
does not explicitly specify that "paper" copies shall be made
available. This requirement could result in minor printing
costs that may be eligible for state reimbursement.
2)Unknown, likely minor, Proposition 98/GF cost pressure for
school districts and COEs to update online FRPM applications
(if they chose to provide applications in this format).
Whether or not an LEA provides applications through an online
format is a local decision and, therefore, the LEA cannot seek
reimbursement for these activities.
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3)Unknown state and federal costs to the extent already
qualified families are connected to CalFresh, CalWORKs,
Medi-Cal and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children Program as a result of this bill.
4)General Fund administrative costs to the California Department
of Education (CDE), in the range of $15,000 to $17,000, to
update eligibility materials for the FRPM program to reflect
the requirements of this bill.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, child hunger can negatively
impact classroom learning and has long-term consequences to
academic outcomes and child brain development. The National
School Lunch Program (NSLP) is one of the best ways to address
child hunger during the school year. Current state and federal
law requires federal school lunch program participating
entities to follow certain procedures and establish certain
protections, but the current statute is silent on the topic of
online applications, which several school districts are
voluntarily making available to parents.
This bill seeks to address the problem of lack of parity of
rights and protections for children whose parents are applying
using online applications and support the use of new
technology to increase access to other online resources that
can help prevent hunger and illness among children.
2)Technical amendment. The State Department of Public Health
has suggested the following amendment, which the author has
agreed to accept:
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SEC 2. 49557 (a)(3)(E)(iii) The Internet Web site page
maintained by the State Department of Public Health
entitled About WIC and How to Apply, or another web-page
identified by the Department that connects families
providing ZIP-Code-specific referrals to the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and
Children.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081