Count Hunger Act.

Budget Children

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Stefani
Last action: 2026-04-20
Official status: Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on what actions will be taken based on the data collected.

Count Hunger Act

The Count Hunger Act requires the State Department of Public Health to collaborate with UCLA on a two-year pilot program to include questions about food insecurity in the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and publish related data.

What This Bill Does

Requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a two-year pilot program with UCLA.
Includes specific questions about food insecurity in the CHIS for households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
Publishes statewide, regional, and county-level data on food insecurity as feasible.

Who It Names or Affects

Households with income below or equal to 400% of the federal poverty level
The State Department of Public Health
UCLA

Terms To Know

California Health Interview Survey (CHIS): A statewide health survey conducted annually by UCLA through interviews with thousands of households in California.
Food Insecurity: The lack of consistent access to enough healthy food due to limited money or other resources.

Limits and Unknowns

Implementation depends on funding from the Legislature and approval by the Regents of the University of California.
Only applies for a two-year period starting in 2027.
The bill does not specify what actions will be taken based on the data collected.

Bill History

2026-04-20 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (April 14).
2026-03-18 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (March 17). Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
2026-03-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HIGHER ED.
2026-02-06 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 8.
2026-02-05 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1734, as amended, Stefani.
Count Hunger Act.
Existing law declares 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 as 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.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to consider the above-described state policy when establishing grant criteria pertinent to the distribution of sufficient affordable food. Existing law requires the department to administer or oversee various programs addressing nutrition, including, among other things, pupil access to healthy food and the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children.
This bill, the Count Hunger Act, would require the department to establish a 2-year pilot program, in collaboration with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), to ensure that certain sets of questions linked to food insecurity are funded and covered within the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). The bill would define CHIS as the statewide health survey administered by UCLA and conducted annually through interviews with thousands of households in the state, as specified.
Under the bill, the CHIS portion relating to food insecurity would apply to all households whose income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. The bill would require UCLA, in collaboration with the department, to publish any available statewide-, regional-, and county-level data, as feasible, that are linked to the food insecurity portion, as specified.
The bill
would condition implementation of these provisions on an appropriation by the Legislature and a resolution by the Regents of the University of California, for implementation in the 2027 and 2028 calendar years or as otherwise specified.

Current Bill Text

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