AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 28, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

96

CHAPTER 168

Statutes of 2023

[ Approved by Governor September 8, 2023. Filed with Secretary of State September 8, 2023. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Rendon

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Reyes)

February 14, 2023

An act to amend Section 18928.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalFresh.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing federal law establishes the 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 law sets forth certain requirements and exemptions for students in postsecondary education for purposes of CalFresh eligibility.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, no later than January 1, 2024, to publish certain data specific to students’ receipt of CalFresh benefits on the department’s existing CalFresh Data Dashboard, in order to assist in monitoring information about access to CalFresh by students enrolled in an institution of higher education, as defined. Existing law requires the department to update the dashboard over time as additional data become available about this population.

This bill would instead require the department to update the dashboard on an annual basis and as additional data become available about that population.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 18928.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

18928.5.

(a) No later than January 1, 2024, in order to assist in monitoring information about access to the CalFresh program by students enrolled in an institution of higher education, the department shall publish data specific to students’ receipt of CalFresh benefits on the department’s existing CalFresh Data Dashboard.

(b) The data shall include metrics about student applications, demographics, and exemptions as available through existing data sources, and shall exclude any personally identifiable information.

(c) The department shall update the dashboard on an annual basis and as additional data become available about the population described in subdivision (a).

(d) For purposes of this section, “enrolled in an institution of higher education” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 273.5 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.