CalFresh: maintenance of benefit level.

Agriculture Budget

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Sharp-Collins
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

CalFresh Benefit Protection

This law requires California's CalFresh program to keep benefit levels at or above the level set by the Thrifty Food Plan on January 20, 2025, if federal funding decreases.

What This Bill Does

Keeps CalFresh benefits at least as high as they were on January 20, 2025, under the Thrifty Food Plan.
Uses state money to cover any shortfall in federal funds needed to maintain these benefit levels.
Requires a study and report by the State Department of Social Services about ways to increase CalFresh eligibility and benefits.
The department must submit this report by January 1, 2027, to certain legislative committees.

Who It Names or Affects

People who receive CalFresh benefits in California
State agencies responsible for distributing CalFresh funds

Terms To Know

Thrifty Food Plan: A food plan created by the USDA to set SNAP benefit amounts.
CalFresh: The California name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how much state funding will be needed if federal funds decrease.
The bill does not specify what happens after January 1, 2031, regarding the study and report.

Bill History

2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2026-01-31 California Legislative Information
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Held under submission.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on HUM. S.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2025-02-22 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1211, as introduced, Sharp-Collins.
CalFresh: maintenance of benefit level.
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.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to ensure that the level of CalFresh benefits remain at least at the level that was in effect on January 20, 2025, under the Thrifty Food Plan, which is a food plan designed by the United States Department of Agriculture to determine SNAP benefit amounts.
Under the bill, the above-described benefit maintenance requirement would be triggered if the federal government makes reductions to SNAP benefits that would result in the level of CalFresh benefits being lower than
the threshold. If federal funding is insufficient, when combined with the nonfederal share, to maintain that level, the bill would require the department to implement these provisions using state funds subject to an appropriation.
The bill would also require the department to conduct a feasibility study on increasing the eligibility and benefits of the CalFresh program, and to prepare a one-time report containing findings from the study. The bill would require the department to submit the report by January 1, 2027, to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The bill would repeal the provisions relating to the study and report on January 1, 2031.

Current Bill Text

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