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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 444: State Healthy Food Access Policy.

Passed one chamber Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 444 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 18, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: State Healthy Food Access Policy. Primary sponsor: Melissa Hurtado (D). Most recent recorded action (August 29, 2025): August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including 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 declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law requires all relevant state agencies to consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and grant criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient affordable food.

This bill would revise that declaration to provide that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food that is locally grown and raised. The bill would require all relevant state agencies to consider that policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria that are pertinent to that policy. The bill would require specified state agencies to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2027, at a minimum, their progress on revising, adopting, or establishing those pertinent policies, regulations, and grant criteria.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Melissa HurtadoPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate16

“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. August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
  2. August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
  3. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  4. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1).
  5. Referred to Com. on HUM. S.
  6. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1326.) Ordered to the Assembly.
  8. Ordered to special consent calendar.
  9. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  10. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1200.) (May 23).
  11. Set for hearing May 23.
  12. April 21 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page