18900. Finding that hunger, undernutrition, and malnutrition are present and continuing problems faced by low-income California households, and further finding that the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Chapter 51 (commencing with Section 2011), Title 7, United States Code) offers significant health-vital benefits, the purpose of this chapter is to establish a statewide program to enable […]
18900.1. (a) The State Department of Social Services shall propose a new name for the Food Stamp Program in California, by July 1, 2009. The department shall convene stakeholders to develop the new name, as provided in subdivision (b). The new name shall reflect one or more of the following concepts: (1) That food stamps are no […]
18900.2. (a) Pursuant to Section 18900.1, the name of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Chapter 51 (commencing with Section 2011) Title 7 of the United States Code) as administered in California shall be CalFresh. (b) Any reference in any other law to the Food Stamp program shall refer to CalFresh. (Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 227, […]
18900.3. Subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for these purposes, in order to increase client access and retention within CalFresh, on or before July 1, 2023, the department shall develop a CalFresh user-centered simplified paper application that minimizes the burdens of the overall enrollment process for households that include older adults 60 […]
18900.4. (a) (1) To the extent permitted under federal law, an individual shall have the option to complete an application or recertification interview and provide the required client signature by telephone. (2) To fulfill the requirements of paragraph (1), counties may implement any method of electronic signature, including telephonic signature, in compliance with state and federal program requirements, […]
18900.5. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section that recipients of Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment Program benefits provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) of Part 3, may receive CalFresh benefits if otherwise eligible. Households described in this section and Sections 18900.6 and 18900.7 shall include households receiving benefits […]
18900.6. (a) There is hereby created the SSI/SSP Cash-In Supplemental Nutrition Benefit (SNB) Program. (b) The department shall use state funds appropriated for this program to provide nutrition benefits to continuing CalFresh households that were eligible for and receiving CalFresh benefits as of June 1, 2019, or the alternate implementation date described in subdivision (b) of Section […]
18900.7. (a) There is hereby created the SSI/SSP Cash-In Transitional Nutrition Benefit (TNB) Program. (b) The department shall use state funds appropriated for this program to provide transitional nutrition benefits to former CalFresh households that were eligible for and receiving CalFresh benefits as of June 1, 2019, or the alternate implementation date described in subdivision (b) of […]
18900.8. (a) The State Department of Social Services shall work with representatives of county human services agencies and the County Welfare Directors Association of California to update the budgeting methodology used to determine the annual funding for county administration of the CalFresh program beginning with the 2023–24 fiscal year. As part of the process of updating […]
18900.9. Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may do both of the following: (a) Implement all waivers approved by the United States Secretary of Agriculture for a period of less than 24 […]
18901. (a) The eligibility of households shall be determined to the extent permitted by federal law. (b) In determining eligibility for CalFresh, minimum age requirements other than those that exist under federal law shall not be imposed. (c) The department shall establish verification policies and procedures for CalFresh applicants and beneficiaries in the event that necessary verification is […]
18901.1. (a) The department shall issue guidance to counties that does all of the following: (1) Simplifies the verification of dependent care expense deductions necessary to determine a household’s eligibility for, or the benefit level of, CalFresh. (2) Establishes that dependent care expenses shall be considered verified upon receipt of a self-certified statement of monthly dependent care expenses, […]
18901.10. To the extent permitted by federal law, and subject to the limitation in subdivision (d), each county welfare department shall, if appropriate, exempt a household from complying with face-to-face interview requirements for purposes of determining eligibility at initial application and recertification, according to the following: (a) The county welfare department shall screen each household’s need […]
18901.11. (a) For purposes of Section 273.5(b)(11)(ii) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, an educational program that could be a component of a CalFresh E&T program described in Section 18926.5, as identified by the department, shall be considered an employment and training program under Section 273.7 of Title 7 of the Code of […]
18901.12. (a) On or before May 31, 2022, the department shall issue a guidance letter to counties, the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges, the Chancellor’s office of the California State University, and the Office of the President of the University of California that does all of the following: (1) Clarifies the state and federal eligibility […]
18901.14. (a) The department shall convene a workgroup comprised of the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Student Aid Commission, representatives from student organizations from all three sectors of public postsecondary educational institutions, the County Welfare Directors Association of California, and representatives from CalFresh eligibility workers and CalFresh advocates to […]
18901.15. (a) The department shall issue guidance to counties that does both of the following: (1) Establishes that shelter costs reported by an applicant or recipient on a signed CalFresh application or semiannual report form shall be sufficient for purposes of determining the applicant’s or recipient’s excess shelter costs deduction. (2) Prohibits a county human services agency […]
18901.2. (a) There is hereby created the State Utility Assistance Subsidy (SUAS), a state-funded energy assistance program that shall provide energy assistance benefits to eligible CalFresh households so that the households may receive a standard utility allowance to be used to help meet their energy costs, receive information about energy efficiency, and so that some households […]
18901.25. (a) There is hereby created the Safe Drinking Water Supplemental Benefit Pilot Program, a state-funded program to provide additional CalFresh nutrition benefits for interim assistance to purchase safe drinking water in areas where it is necessary. (b) The State Department of Social Services shall use moneys allocated for this program to provide time-limited additional state-funded nutrition […]
18901.3. (a) Subject to the limitations of subdivision (b), pursuant to Section 115(d)(1)(A) of Public Law 104-193 (21 U.S.C. Sec. 862a(d)(1)(A)), California opts out of the provisions of Section 115(a)(2) of Public Law 104-193 (21 U.S.C. Sec. 862a(a)(2)). An individual convicted as an adult in state or federal court after December 31, 1997, including any plea […]
