CalFresh: federal government shutdowns.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on federal government approval or support for this plan, which was included in the candidate explanation.

CalFresh: Federal Government Shutdowns

This law requires California's Department of Social Services to provide information and develop plans during federal government shutdowns that affect CalFresh benefits.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the State Department of Social Services to maintain a clearly marked landing page on its website with updates on how CalFresh benefits are affected by federal government shutdowns, including status and availability of benefits.
• Needs the department to work with stakeholders to make a plan for communicating with people who get CalFresh during shutdowns, which includes notifications for participants and briefings for officials and organizations.
• Allows the department to quickly give out nutrition help through an emergency system if needed during a shutdown.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who receive CalFresh benefits
• Local and state officials, community organizations, and participating retailers

Terms To Know

CalFresh

California's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Disaster CalFresh

Short-term food assistance provided during disasters that disrupt normal food supply

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much funding will be needed for these new requirements.

Official Summary Text

SB 1077, as amended, Gonzalez.
Disaster CalFresh.
CalFresh: federal government shutdowns.
Existing federal law provides for 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 federal law, through Disaster SNAP, provides for short-term food assistance benefits to eligible households who are victims of a disaster that disrupts commercial channels of food distribution.
Existing state law requires the State Department of Social Services to identify the necessary elements of a county disaster plan, to issue guidance to county human services agencies, and to offer training on Disaster CalFresh, as specified. Existing law requires the department to maintain
updated Disaster CalFresh materials, including, but not limited to, state and county disaster plans, Disaster CalFresh applications, the Disaster CalFresh internet website, and a Disaster CalFresh outreach flyer in all required languages.
This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions.
This bill would, during a federal government shutdown that impacts the disbursement of CalFresh benefits, require the State Department of Social Services to maintain a clearly marked landing page on the department’s internet website to provide the public with information on how their benefits will be impacted, including information on status of the federal government shutdown and the availability of benefits. The bill would also require the department, in coordination with
stakeholders, to establish a strategic communications plan for use during a federal government shutdown that impacts the disbursement of CalFresh benefits that includes notifications for CalFresh participants and daily emergency response briefings for local and state officials, local government agencies, community organizations, and participating retailers, as specified.
The bill would require the department to develop a benefit issuance mechanism to allow the department flexibility to rapidly provide nutrition benefits on an emergency basis in response to a federal government shutdown that impacts the disbursement of CalFresh benefits, and would require the mechanism to be designed to issue nutrition benefits through the existing electronic benefits transfer system and in a manner that can target various populations depending on the purpose of the specific benefit.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF