BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1400
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1400 (Human Services Committee)
As Introduced March 1, 2011
Majority vote
HUMAN SERVICES 5-0
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|Ayes:|Beall, Jones, Ammiano, | | |
| |Grove, Hall | | |
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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 : None
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.
AB 433 (Beall) requires 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 have
not been provided as "stamps" since the 1940s, and now are
delivered through an ATM-like card. There was also an increased
AB 1400
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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
nutrition" program played a role in its low participation rate.
Indeed, in California it has been widely reported that
approximately half of those that are eligible are not
participating.
AB 433's provision to rename California's program called for it
to reflect on more of the following concepts:
1)That food stamps are no longer delivered by stamps;
2)That food stamps support healthy living;
3)That food stamps are important to agriculture in California;
and,
4)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.
This bill 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.
Analysis Prepared by : Frances Chacon / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
FN: 0000769