AB-1618 • 2026

Food insecurity survey.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Rogers
Last action: 2026-05-14
Official status: In committee: Held under submission.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Food Insecurity Survey

This law requires California's Department of Social Services to conduct an annual statewide survey on food insecurity and make the results public.

What This Bill Does

Requires the State Department of Social Services to do a yearly survey about food insecurity in California.
The first survey must be done by July 1, 2028.
After that, the department has to put the survey results on their website by October 1 each year.
Allows the department to work with other groups or hire outside help to do the surveys.
Doesn't allow a state food insecurity survey if there's already a federal one happening in the same year.

Who It Names or Affects

The State Department of Social Services
People who are interested in learning about food insecurity in California

Terms To Know

food insecurity: Not having enough healthy and affordable food to live a normal life.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not say how the survey results will be used or what actions might come from them.
It's unclear if there are any penalties for not following this law.

Bill History

2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
In committee: Held under submission.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-12 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-03-11 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 10).
2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on HUM. S.
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 21.
2026-01-21 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1618, as amended, Rogers.
Food insecurity survey.
Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including, among others, 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 law declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law defines “food insecurity” to mean the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs to live a healthy life and the uncertainty of being able to acquire enough food to meet the needs of an individual or household due to insufficient money or other resources.
This bill would require the
State Department of Social Services to annually conduct a statewide survey to assess food insecurity in the state, modeled after a specified federal survey. The bill would require the first statewide food insecurity survey to be completed on or before July 1,
2027.
2028.
The bill would require the department, on or before October 1,
2027,
2028,
and annually thereafter, to make the results of the statewide food insecurity survey publicly available on its internet website.
The bill would authorize the department to collaborate or contract with a public
research institution or other external vendor to implement these provisions.
The bill would prohibit the department from conducting a statewide food insecurity survey during a year in which a federal food security survey is conducted, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF