BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1400
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 10, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
                                Jim Beall Jr., Chair
            AB 1400 (Committee on Human Services) - As Introduced:  March 
                                       1, 2011
           
          SUBJECT  :  CalFresh

           SUMMARY  :  Changes the name of the Food Stamp Program to 
          "CalFresh."  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)States that the name of the federal Supplemental Nutrition 
            Assistance Program as administered in California shall be 
            CalFresh.

          2)Specifies that any reference in any other law to the Food 
            Stamp Program shall refer to CalFresh.

          3)Makes technical changes.

           EXISTING LAW  requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to 
          propose a new name for the Food Stamp Program in California by 
          July 1, 2009.  AB 433 (Beall), Chapter 625, Statutes of 2008.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  The U.S. Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and 
          Energy Act of 2008
          (Public Law 110-246), that included a provision that renamed 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, like 
          many other states, chose to explore other naming options.

          In 2008, AB 433 required DSS to rename the Food Stamp Program in 
          consultation with a stakeholder group.  The program had evolved 
          significantly over the past several decades and benefits had not 
          been provided as "stamps" since the 1940s, and now are delivered 
          through an ATM-like card.  There was also an increased public 
          awareness and interest in using the program to promote healthier 
          food purchases to reduce the incidence of obesity.  
          Additionally, proponents asserted that the continued 
          identification of it as a "welfare" rather than a "food and 








                                                                  AB 1400
                                                                  Page  2

          nutrition" program played a role in its low participation rate.  
          Indeed, in California it has been widely reported that 
          approximately only half of those that are eligible are not 
          participating.

          AB 433's provision to rename California's program called for it 
          to reflect on or more of the following concepts:

                 That food stamps are no longer delivered by stamps;
                 That food stamps support healthy living;
                 That food stamps are important to agriculture in 
               California; and
                 That 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.

          AB 1400 is a clean-up bill that formally adopts the new names, 
          CalFresh and SNAP, and replaces all references to the old names 
          in statute with the new ones.  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          None on file.

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Frances Chacon / HUM. S. / (916) 
          319-2089