AB 2115, as introduced, Bradford. CalFresh: school meals.
Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing federal law requires that a child receiving benefits under SNAP be certified as eligible for free lunches and free breakfasts without further application. Existing law requires a county welfare department to compile a list of emergency food providers and make that list available upon request.
This bill would additionally require a county welfare department to compile a list of child feeding and summer feeding programs. The bill would also require a county human services agency to provide an applicant household that has children with information about how to enroll the children in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs while the CalFresh application is pending and to inform the household that if the household is certified for CalFresh, all children in the household are directly certified for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs without further application.
By increasing the duties of county welfare departments, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 18911 of the Welfare and Institutions
2Code is amended to read:
(a) An application and an authorization for participation
4in CalFresh shall be processed within a period of not more than
530 days from the date of application.
6(b) The department shall develop written information that
7describes the eligibility and verification requirements for expedited
8service, the process for applying for those benefits, and the
9availability of assistance in filling out the forms and gathering
10needed documentation.
11(c) begin deleteEach end deletebegin insertA end insertcounty welfare department shall make the material
12developed pursuant
to subdivision (b) available tobegin delete eachend deletebegin insert
anend insert applicant
13at the time the applicant initially seeks CalFresh benefits.
14(d) begin deleteEach end deletebegin insertA end insertcounty welfare department shall, upon request, make
15available the information developed pursuant to subdivision (b)
16to community action agencies, legal services offices, emergency
17food programs, and other programs.
18(e) begin deleteEach end deletebegin insertA end insertcountybegin delete welfare departmentend deletebegin insert
human service agencyend insert
19 shall compile a list of emergency food providersbegin insert, including local
20child feeding and summer feeding programs,end insert in the area served by
21the local CalFresh office. The list shall be updated, based on
22information from the food providersbegin insert, cities, and school districtsend insert.
23The list shall be made availablebegin delete upon request, and, where needed, begin insert to households applying for CalFresh.
24may be used to refer individuals to emergency food sites that may
25be able to provide assistance.end delete
26A county welfare department shall provide an applicant household
27that has children with information about how to enroll
the children
28in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs
P3 1while the CalFresh application is pending and shall inform the
2household that if the household is certified for CalFresh, all
3children in the household are directly certified for the National
4School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs without further
5application.end insert
6(f) begin deleteEach end deletebegin insertA end insertcounty welfare department shall make available to
7CalFresh applicants, upon request, nonpromotional information
8that contains addresses and phone numbers of local legal services
9and welfare rights organizations.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
11this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
12local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
13pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
144 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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