SB 118: Human services.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing federal law provides for 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 establishes a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system, administered by the State Department of Social Services, for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits, including CalFresh benefits. Existing law establishes the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project and requires the department, in consultation with specified entities, to include within the EBT system a supplemental benefits mechanism that allows an authorized retailer to deliver and redeem supplemental benefits and to provide grants for pilot projects to implement and test the mechanism in existing retail settings. Existing law requires the department to evaluate the pilot projects and make recommendations to further refine and expand the supplemental benefits mechanism, as specified.

This bill would require the department to evaluate the pilot projects that operated pursuant to the above-described provisions between February 1, 2023, and January 31, 2025, as specified.

Existing federal law, through Disaster SNAP, provides for short-term food assistance benefits to families suffering in the wake of a major disaster. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services and the county human services agency, if the President of the United States issues a major disaster declaration for individual assistance, to request to operate a federal Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) for the regions affected by the major disaster. Existing uncodified law, in the event of a declaration by the Governor or the President of the United States of a major disaster, continuously appropriates to the department from the General Fund an amount necessary to cover specified costs relating to the administration of disaster assistance services, but not to exceed $300,000 per disaster declaration.

This bill would codify that funding provision.

(2)Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services for needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant program, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a county is required to annually redetermine eligibility for CalWORKs benefits and, at the time of redetermination, require the family to complete a certificate of eligibility. Existing law additionally requires the county to redetermine recipient eligibility and grant amounts on a semiannual basis and requires the recipient to submit a semiannual report form during the first semiannual reporting period following the application or annual redetermination of eligibility. Existing law requires, to the extent permitted by federal law, the State Department of Social Services to implement the semiannual reporting system, including the use of the semiannual report form, in the CalFresh program. Existing law requires the department to work with specified entities to develop and implement system changes that would prepopulate the semiannual report. Existing law requires counties to provide recipients with a prepopulated semiannual report form instead of a blank form.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. June 24, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
2. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
3. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
4. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 436.) Ordered to the Assembly.
5. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
6. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
7. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)
8. February 5, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
9. January 24, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 23.
10. January 23, 2025Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.