Amended IN Senate August 26, 2024 Amended IN Senate September 08, 2023 Amended IN Senate July 03, 2023 Amended IN Assembly April 04, 2023 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 518Introduced by Assembly Member Wicks Members Wicks and Jackson(Coauthors: Assembly Members Berman, Calderon, Cervantes, Gipson, Grayson, and Wood)February 07, 2023An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to disability compensation, and making an appropriation therefor. add Sections 18901.58 and 18901.59 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalFresh.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 518, as amended, Wicks. Paid family leave: eligibility: care for designated persons. CalFresh: data.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 requires the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services to work together with specified stakeholders to develop a proposed statewide process for using data collected for purposes of the CalFresh program, Medi-Cal, free and reduced-price school meals programs, and the electronic benefits transfer system in order to increase enrollment in the CalFresh program, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Social Services, under CalFresh provisions, to administer outreach programs and adopt rules and regulations requiring counties to conduct outreach programs to the extent permitted by federal law and eligible for federal financial participation.This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with various stakeholders, on or before July 1, 2025, to develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits. The bill would require the department to utilize the data and metrics to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.The bill would also authorize the department to identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury. That fund is continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing disability benefits and making payment of expenses in administering those provisions.Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law defines terms for its purposes, including family care leave and family member.This bill would expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. The bill would define designated person to mean any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The bill would authorize the employee to identify the designated person when they file a claim for benefits. The bill would make conforming changes to the definitions of the terms family care leave and family member. The bill would make these changes operative on and after November 1, 2024.By authorizing expenditures from the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation.This bill would incorporate additional substantive changes to Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code proposed by AB 575 to be operative only if this bill and AB 575 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: YESNO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(a) More than one in five Californians suffer from food insecurity.(b) As lack of access to healthful food equates to ill health, poor educational outcomes, and poverty, guaranteeing access to healthy, culturally relevant food will ensure that fewer Californians will require the aid of Californias safety net programs, saving both lives and substantial taxpayer funds. For example, health care costs associated with food insecurity cost California more than $7 billion annually, more than any other state in the United States.(c) Research in child brain development has shown that even one experience of hunger as a child can impact a persons health and mental well-being throughout the rest of their life. Research has similarly demonstrated the long-term academic and economic consequences of hunger in limiting a persons life chances.(d) Hunger is exacerbated by racial and economic inequities, with 40 percent of Black households and 30 percent of Latino households in California experiencing hunger. In the County of Los Angeles alone, 23 percent of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander residents live in food-insecure households. Additionally, a staggering 92 percent of Native American households suffer from food insecurity.(e) In 2023, California declared food as a human right, but the state has no plan for realizing this right. Just as California has deeply committed itself to providing health care, drinking water, and educational access, it must also comparably ensure access to adequate, nutritious, sustainably grown food in all communities across the state.(f) California must support a process by which the state and relevant stakeholders engage to evaluate CalFresh participation rates and identify opportunities to remove barriers to enrollment with a goal of increasing participation in critical food support services for all low-income Californians.SEC. 2. Section 18901.58 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.SEC. 3. Section 18901.59 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.
Amended IN Senate August 26, 2024 Amended IN Senate September 08, 2023 Amended IN Senate July 03, 2023 Amended IN Assembly April 04, 2023 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 518Introduced by Assembly Member Wicks Members Wicks and Jackson(Coauthors: Assembly Members Berman, Calderon, Cervantes, Gipson, Grayson, and Wood)February 07, 2023An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to disability compensation, and making an appropriation therefor. add Sections 18901.58 and 18901.59 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalFresh.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 518, as amended, Wicks. Paid family leave: eligibility: care for designated persons. CalFresh: data.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 requires the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services to work together with specified stakeholders to develop a proposed statewide process for using data collected for purposes of the CalFresh program, Medi-Cal, free and reduced-price school meals programs, and the electronic benefits transfer system in order to increase enrollment in the CalFresh program, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Social Services, under CalFresh provisions, to administer outreach programs and adopt rules and regulations requiring counties to conduct outreach programs to the extent permitted by federal law and eligible for federal financial participation.This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with various stakeholders, on or before July 1, 2025, to develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits. The bill would require the department to utilize the data and metrics to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.The bill would also authorize the department to identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury. That fund is continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing disability benefits and making payment of expenses in administering those provisions.Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law defines terms for its purposes, including family care leave and family member.This bill would expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. The bill would define designated person to mean any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The bill would authorize the employee to identify the designated person when they file a claim for benefits. The bill would make conforming changes to the definitions of the terms family care leave and family member. The bill would make these changes operative on and after November 1, 2024.By authorizing expenditures from the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation.This bill would incorporate additional substantive changes to Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code proposed by AB 575 to be operative only if this bill and AB 575 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: YESNO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Amended IN Senate August 26, 2024 Amended IN Senate September 08, 2023 Amended IN Senate July 03, 2023 Amended IN Assembly April 04, 2023
Amended IN Senate August 26, 2024
Amended IN Senate September 08, 2023
Amended IN Senate July 03, 2023
Amended IN Assembly April 04, 2023
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 518
Introduced by Assembly Member Wicks Members Wicks and Jackson(Coauthors: Assembly Members Berman, Calderon, Cervantes, Gipson, Grayson, and Wood)February 07, 2023
Introduced by Assembly Member Wicks Members Wicks and Jackson(Coauthors: Assembly Members Berman, Calderon, Cervantes, Gipson, Grayson, and Wood)
February 07, 2023
An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to disability compensation, and making an appropriation therefor. add Sections 18901.58 and 18901.59 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalFresh.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 518, as amended, Wicks. Paid family leave: eligibility: care for designated persons. CalFresh: data.
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 requires the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services to work together with specified stakeholders to develop a proposed statewide process for using data collected for purposes of the CalFresh program, Medi-Cal, free and reduced-price school meals programs, and the electronic benefits transfer system in order to increase enrollment in the CalFresh program, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Social Services, under CalFresh provisions, to administer outreach programs and adopt rules and regulations requiring counties to conduct outreach programs to the extent permitted by federal law and eligible for federal financial participation.This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with various stakeholders, on or before July 1, 2025, to develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits. The bill would require the department to utilize the data and metrics to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.The bill would also authorize the department to identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury. That fund is continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing disability benefits and making payment of expenses in administering those provisions.Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law defines terms for its purposes, including family care leave and family member.This bill would expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. The bill would define designated person to mean any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The bill would authorize the employee to identify the designated person when they file a claim for benefits. The bill would make conforming changes to the definitions of the terms family care leave and family member. The bill would make these changes operative on and after November 1, 2024.By authorizing expenditures from the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation.This bill would incorporate additional substantive changes to Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code proposed by AB 575 to be operative only if this bill and AB 575 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
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 requires the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services to work together with specified stakeholders to develop a proposed statewide process for using data collected for purposes of the CalFresh program, Medi-Cal, free and reduced-price school meals programs, and the electronic benefits transfer system in order to increase enrollment in the CalFresh program, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Social Services, under CalFresh provisions, to administer outreach programs and adopt rules and regulations requiring counties to conduct outreach programs to the extent permitted by federal law and eligible for federal financial participation.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with various stakeholders, on or before July 1, 2025, to develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits. The bill would require the department to utilize the data and metrics to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.
The bill would also authorize the department to identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.
Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury. That fund is continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing disability benefits and making payment of expenses in administering those provisions.
Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law defines terms for its purposes, including family care leave and family member.
This bill would expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. The bill would define designated person to mean any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The bill would authorize the employee to identify the designated person when they file a claim for benefits. The bill would make conforming changes to the definitions of the terms family care leave and family member. The bill would make these changes operative on and after November 1, 2024.
By authorizing expenditures from the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation.
This bill would incorporate additional substantive changes to Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code proposed by AB 575 to be operative only if this bill and AB 575 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(a) More than one in five Californians suffer from food insecurity.(b) As lack of access to healthful food equates to ill health, poor educational outcomes, and poverty, guaranteeing access to healthy, culturally relevant food will ensure that fewer Californians will require the aid of Californias safety net programs, saving both lives and substantial taxpayer funds. For example, health care costs associated with food insecurity cost California more than $7 billion annually, more than any other state in the United States.(c) Research in child brain development has shown that even one experience of hunger as a child can impact a persons health and mental well-being throughout the rest of their life. Research has similarly demonstrated the long-term academic and economic consequences of hunger in limiting a persons life chances.(d) Hunger is exacerbated by racial and economic inequities, with 40 percent of Black households and 30 percent of Latino households in California experiencing hunger. In the County of Los Angeles alone, 23 percent of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander residents live in food-insecure households. Additionally, a staggering 92 percent of Native American households suffer from food insecurity.(e) In 2023, California declared food as a human right, but the state has no plan for realizing this right. Just as California has deeply committed itself to providing health care, drinking water, and educational access, it must also comparably ensure access to adequate, nutritious, sustainably grown food in all communities across the state.(f) California must support a process by which the state and relevant stakeholders engage to evaluate CalFresh participation rates and identify opportunities to remove barriers to enrollment with a goal of increasing participation in critical food support services for all low-income Californians.SEC. 2. Section 18901.58 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.SEC. 3. Section 18901.59 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(a) More than one in five Californians suffer from food insecurity.(b) As lack of access to healthful food equates to ill health, poor educational outcomes, and poverty, guaranteeing access to healthy, culturally relevant food will ensure that fewer Californians will require the aid of Californias safety net programs, saving both lives and substantial taxpayer funds. For example, health care costs associated with food insecurity cost California more than $7 billion annually, more than any other state in the United States.(c) Research in child brain development has shown that even one experience of hunger as a child can impact a persons health and mental well-being throughout the rest of their life. Research has similarly demonstrated the long-term academic and economic consequences of hunger in limiting a persons life chances.(d) Hunger is exacerbated by racial and economic inequities, with 40 percent of Black households and 30 percent of Latino households in California experiencing hunger. In the County of Los Angeles alone, 23 percent of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander residents live in food-insecure households. Additionally, a staggering 92 percent of Native American households suffer from food insecurity.(e) In 2023, California declared food as a human right, but the state has no plan for realizing this right. Just as California has deeply committed itself to providing health care, drinking water, and educational access, it must also comparably ensure access to adequate, nutritious, sustainably grown food in all communities across the state.(f) California must support a process by which the state and relevant stakeholders engage to evaluate CalFresh participation rates and identify opportunities to remove barriers to enrollment with a goal of increasing participation in critical food support services for all low-income Californians.
SECTION 1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(a) More than one in five Californians suffer from food insecurity.(b) As lack of access to healthful food equates to ill health, poor educational outcomes, and poverty, guaranteeing access to healthy, culturally relevant food will ensure that fewer Californians will require the aid of Californias safety net programs, saving both lives and substantial taxpayer funds. For example, health care costs associated with food insecurity cost California more than $7 billion annually, more than any other state in the United States.(c) Research in child brain development has shown that even one experience of hunger as a child can impact a persons health and mental well-being throughout the rest of their life. Research has similarly demonstrated the long-term academic and economic consequences of hunger in limiting a persons life chances.(d) Hunger is exacerbated by racial and economic inequities, with 40 percent of Black households and 30 percent of Latino households in California experiencing hunger. In the County of Los Angeles alone, 23 percent of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander residents live in food-insecure households. Additionally, a staggering 92 percent of Native American households suffer from food insecurity.(e) In 2023, California declared food as a human right, but the state has no plan for realizing this right. Just as California has deeply committed itself to providing health care, drinking water, and educational access, it must also comparably ensure access to adequate, nutritious, sustainably grown food in all communities across the state.(f) California must support a process by which the state and relevant stakeholders engage to evaluate CalFresh participation rates and identify opportunities to remove barriers to enrollment with a goal of increasing participation in critical food support services for all low-income Californians.
SECTION 1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:
### SECTION 1.
(a) More than one in five Californians suffer from food insecurity.
(b) As lack of access to healthful food equates to ill health, poor educational outcomes, and poverty, guaranteeing access to healthy, culturally relevant food will ensure that fewer Californians will require the aid of Californias safety net programs, saving both lives and substantial taxpayer funds. For example, health care costs associated with food insecurity cost California more than $7 billion annually, more than any other state in the United States.
(c) Research in child brain development has shown that even one experience of hunger as a child can impact a persons health and mental well-being throughout the rest of their life. Research has similarly demonstrated the long-term academic and economic consequences of hunger in limiting a persons life chances.
(d) Hunger is exacerbated by racial and economic inequities, with 40 percent of Black households and 30 percent of Latino households in California experiencing hunger. In the County of Los Angeles alone, 23 percent of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander residents live in food-insecure households. Additionally, a staggering 92 percent of Native American households suffer from food insecurity.
(e) In 2023, California declared food as a human right, but the state has no plan for realizing this right. Just as California has deeply committed itself to providing health care, drinking water, and educational access, it must also comparably ensure access to adequate, nutritious, sustainably grown food in all communities across the state.
(f) California must support a process by which the state and relevant stakeholders engage to evaluate CalFresh participation rates and identify opportunities to remove barriers to enrollment with a goal of increasing participation in critical food support services for all low-income Californians.
SEC. 2. Section 18901.58 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.
SEC. 2. Section 18901.58 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
### SEC. 2.
18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.
18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.
18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.
18901.58. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with advocate representatives, county human service agencies, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California, shall develop a methodology for estimating the CalFresh participation rate and identifying characteristics of Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.
(2) Identified characteristics may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, preferred language, age, and location.
(3) The department shall identify any existing public assistance or public benefit data that may be used to identify Californians who are eligible for, but not receiving, CalFresh benefits.
(4) The department shall annually publish the CalFresh participation rate.
(b) The department shall utilize the data and metrics described in subdivision (a) to develop informed and targeted outreach strategies and to maximize federal funding for CalFresh outreach to reach Californians who are eligible for CalFresh benefits.
(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.59.
SEC. 3. Section 18901.59 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.
SEC. 3. Section 18901.59 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
### SEC. 3.
18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.
18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.
18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.
18901.59. (a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.
(b) Notwithstanding any other state law, and to the extent permitted by federal law, public entities may share data with the department for the purposes of subdivision (a). These public entities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Public entities related to health and human services, including, but not limited to, the California Health and Human Services Agency and departments within the agency.
(2) Public entities related to education and early childhood programs, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, and First 5 California.
(3) Public entities related to employment and financial well-being, including, but not limited to, the Employment Development Department, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, and the Franchise Tax Board.
(4) Public entities related to shelter, utilities, housing, and homelessness, including, but not limited to, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and all departments and boards within the agency, and the Public Utilities Commission.
(5) Public entities related to justice-involved individuals, including, but not limited to, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
(6) Public entities related to services for veterans, including, but not limited to, the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(c) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.