AB 1892: CalFresh.

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 federal law authorizes states to provide transitional SNAP benefits to households that are terminating their participation in a TANF-funded or state maintenance of effort-funded cash assistance program, or a state-funded cash assistance program that provides assistance to families with children.

Existing law authorizes counties to participate in the CalFresh Employment and Training program (CalFresh E&T), established by federal law, and requires a participating county to demonstrate in its CalFresh E&T plan how it is effectively using CalFresh E&T funds for each of the specified components that the county may offer, including work experience or training, job search, and support services or client reimbursements needed to participate in the other listed components.

This bill would direct the department to issue guidance to counties participating in the CalFresh E&T program with instructions for providing the support services or client reimbursements described above, including instructions for reimbursing a proportion of the cost of Internet or telephone service.

Existing law authorizes the State Department of Social Services, to the extent permitted by federal law, to contract directly with an entity that has expertise in, and secures funds for, specified CalFresh E&T program services, and authorizes the department to act as the state entity for receipt of federal reimbursement on behalf of the entity provided that the entity complies with state and federal contracting requirements and, among other things, provides services to participants who face multiple barriers to employment, as defined.

This bill would revise and recast the definition of participant who faces multiple barriers to employment.

By increasing the duties of counties administering CalFresh, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.