Plain English Breakdown
The official text uses both mandatory language ('require') and encouraging language ('encourage') regarding UCLA's actions, creating some ambiguity on whether all steps are legally binding or aspirational.
Count Hunger Act
This law requires a two-year pilot program to add questions about food insecurity for low-income households in the California Health Interview Survey and share that data, if funding is approved.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the State Department of Public Health to work with UCLA on a 2-year pilot program starting in calendar years 2027 or 2028.
- Ensures questions about food insecurity are included in the California Health Interview Survey for households earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
- Requires UCLA and the department to publish available data on food insecurity at statewide, regional, and county levels as feasible.
- States that funding should come from local, private, or philanthropic sources.
Who It Names or Affects
- The State Department of Public Health
- University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Households with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level
Terms To Know
- Food insecurity
- The occasional or constant lack of access to food needed for a healthy life due to not having enough money or other resources.
- California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)
- A yearly statewide survey run by UCLA that interviews thousands of households about health topics.
Limits and Unknowns
- The program only happens if the Legislature approves funding and the University of California Regents pass a resolution.
- UCLA is encouraged to expand these efforts only if it determines enough resources are available.
- Data will be published only as feasible, meaning some areas might not have results.