Bills

AB 2652: Student Aid Commission: California Dream Act applicants: Food Support Pilot Program.

Session Year: 2021-2022
House: Assembly
Latest Version Date: 2022-04-28

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Existing law also establishes the California Food Assistance Program and requires the State Department of Social Services to use state funds appropriated for that program to provide nutrition benefits to households that are ineligible for CalFresh benefits solely due to their immigration status.

This bill, until May 1, 2028, would require the Student Aid Commission to establish the Food Support Pilot Program to provide food support grants to qualifying students who submit a California Dream Act application, as specified. The bill would require the commission to allocate the award on a semester or quarterly basis to a qualifying institution, as defined, if certain program eligibility requirements are met and would require a qualifying institution to provide the funds to the student, as specified. The bill would guarantee an award in the amount of $2,808 per year to each student meeting the program eligibility requirements.

The bill would require the commission to conduct a student survey every two years to determine the effectiveness of the Food Support Pilot Program, and to report certain information to the Legislature, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative only upon an appropriation of funds for its purposes. To the extent the bill imposes additional duties on community colleges, the 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.

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that a grade 12 pupil who has not opted out, as specified, completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or, if the pupil is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under existing law, completes and submits a form for purposes of the California Dream Act.Existing law also establishes the California Food Assistance Program and requires the State Department of Social Services to use state funds appropriated for that program to provide nutrition benefits to households that are ineligible for CalFresh benefits solely due to their immigration status.This bill, until January 1, 2025, would require the Student Aid Commission to establish a state-funded Food Support Pilot Program to provide California Food Assistance Program benefits to students who submit a California Dream Act application. The bill also would require the commission to ensure that students who submit this application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for the Food Support Pilot Program and receive instruction on how to apply for the pilot program. The bill would make its provisions operative only upon an appropriation of funds for this purpose.

This bill, until January 1, 2025, would require the Student Aid Commission to establish a state-funded Food Support Pilot Program to provide California Food Assistance Program benefits to students who submit a California Dream Act application. The bill also would require the commission to ensure that students who submit this application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for the Food Support Pilot Program and receive instruction on how to apply for the pilot program. The bill would make its provisions operative only upon an appropriation of funds for this purpose.

Existing federal law provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Under existing state law, households are eligible to receive CalFresh benefits to the extent permitted by federal law. Existing federal law provides that students who are enrolled in college or other institutions of higher education at least half-time are not eligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet one of several specified exemptions, including participating in an employment and training program for low-income households that is operated by a state or local government, as specified. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to establish a program of participating counties to streamline the CalFresh application process for students. The bill would require counties that participate in the program to select a county to be the central hub to process CalFresh applications for students, as defined, for all of those counties and to designate and train centralized staff for the central hub.Existing law, administered by the State Department of Social Services, provides for the establishment of a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits, and authorizes a county to deliver CalFresh benefits through the use of the EBT system.Existing law requires each public and private postsecondary educational institution that is located in a county that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) to apply to become an approved food vendor for the program, if the institution operates any qualifying food facilities, as defined, on campus, or to provide contracting on-campus food vendors, as defined, with specified information about the program.This bill would require each campus of the California State University and each campus of the California Community Colleges to ensure, and would request each campus of the University of California to ensure, that on-campus food vendors accept payment through an EBT system.Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission and assigns to it numerous duties with respect to student financial aid programs, including administration of the Student Opportunity and Access Program. Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that a grade-12 pupil who has not opted out, as specified, completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or, if the pupil is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under existing law, completes and submits a form for purposes of the California Dream Act.This bill, until January 1, 2025, would require the department to collaborate with the Student Aid Commission to ensure that students who submit a California Dream Act application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for CalFresh and receive instruction on how to apply for CalFresh.

This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to establish a program of participating counties to streamline the CalFresh application process for students. The bill would require counties that participate in the program to select a county to be the central hub to process CalFresh applications for students, as defined, for all of those counties and to designate and train centralized staff for the central hub.

Existing law, administered by the State Department of Social Services, provides for the establishment of a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits, and authorizes a county to deliver CalFresh benefits through the use of the EBT system.

Existing law requires each public and private postsecondary educational institution that is located in a county that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) to apply to become an approved food vendor for the program, if the institution operates any qualifying food facilities, as defined, on campus, or to provide contracting on-campus food vendors, as defined, with specified information about the program.

This bill would require each campus of the California State University and each campus of the California Community Colleges to ensure, and would request each campus of the University of California to ensure, that on-campus food vendors accept payment through an EBT system.

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission and assigns to it numerous duties with respect to student financial aid programs, including administration of the Student Opportunity and Access Program. Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that a grade-12 pupil who has not opted out, as specified, completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or, if the pupil is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under existing law, completes and submits a form for purposes of the California Dream Act.

This bill, until January 1, 2025, would require the department to collaborate with the Student Aid Commission to ensure that students who submit a California Dream Act application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for CalFresh and receive instruction on how to apply for CalFresh.

Existing law establishes various public social services programs, including, among others, CalWORKs and the State Supplementary Program for Aged, Blind and Disabled. Existing law declares that the purpose of providing public social services is to provide protection, care, and assistance to the people of the state in need of it, and to promote the welfare and happiness of all of the people of the state by providing appropriate aid and services to those who are needy and distressed.This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

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The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1.Section 69520 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 69519.3, to read:69520.

(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that the grants provided to students pursuant to this section shall be used to reduce the financial burden of the total cost of tuition by providing students with access to funds for food.

(b)The commission shall establish the Food Support Pilot Program to provide food support grants to qualifying students who submit a California Dream Act application. Each student who meets the Food Support Pilot Program eligibility requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be guaranteed an award. The amount of an individual award is two thousand eight hundred eight dollars ($2,808) per year.

(c)The commission shall allocate the award on a semester or quarterly basis to the qualifying institution if all of the following are met:

(1)The student has submitted a complete California Dream Act application, submitted or postmarked no later than March 2 of each year.

(2)The student demonstrates financial need by having an expected family contribution of equal to or less than the qualifying expected family contribution for the Federal Pell Grant Program (20 U.S.C. Sec 1070a).

(3)The student is pursuing an undergraduate academic program of at least two academic years that is offered by a qualifying institution.

(4)The student is enrolled at least part time.

(5)The student maintains good academic standing with the qualifying institution at which the student is enrolled.

(d)The commission shall notify students who meet the eligibility requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) of their receipt of the award.

(e)The food support grant may be renewed for a total of the equivalent of two years or four years of full-time attendance in an associate degree or undergraduate program, provided that the student still meets the Food Support Pilot Program eligibility requirements pursuant to subdivision (c).

(f)The commission shall disburse funds to qualifying institutions and each institution shall disburse the funds in accordance with the provisions set forth in the institutional agreement between the commission and the institution for Cal Grants pursuant to Section 69432.8.

(g)(1)A qualifying institution, upon the receipt of funds from the commission for purposes of this section, shall provide the funds to the student and shall not reduce the institutional aid offer of a student who receives a grant pursuant to this section unless the students gift aid exceeds the students annual cost of attendance.

(2)The institution may reduce the institutional financial aid offer of a student who is eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this section by no more than the amount of the students gift aid that is in excess of the students annual cost of attendance.

(h)Beginning on or before December 1, one year after moneys are appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of this section, and annually thereafter, the commission shall report to the Legislature the number of students who qualified for the funding disaggregated by qualifying institution, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

(i)The commission shall conduct a student survey every two years to determine the effectiveness of the Food Support Pilot Program. The survey shall address, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1)How students elected to use their grants received pursuant to this section.

(2)If qualifying institutions reduced institutional aid pursuant to subdivision (g) and if so, by how much.

(3)The barriers to administering the pilot program for either the commission or qualifying institutions.

(4)Any recommendations for the improvement of the pilot program so long as the recommendations further the intent of the pilot program.

(j)The commission shall report the results of the student survey described in subdivision (i) to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review on or before January 1, 2026, and on or before January 1, 2028. A report submitted pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(k)This section shall become operative only upon an appropriation of funds for this purpose by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or in another statute.

(l)As used in this article the following definitions apply:

(1)Cost of attendance means the students tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses, transportation expenses, and any other student expenses used to calculate a students financial need for purposes of student aid programs under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.).

(2)Expected family contribution means a students expected family contribution calculated according to the federal methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 as established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.).

(3)Institutional financial aid means financial aid that is paid for by the institution of higher education from its funds and the recipient of the aid is selected by the institution.

(4)Qualifying institutions means any public postsecondary educational institution in the state that receives, or benefits from, state-funded financial assistance or enrolls students who receive state-funded student financial assistance.

(5)Part time, for purposes of eligibility, means 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent.

(m)Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section shall become inoperative on May 1, 2028, and as of January 1, 2029, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

SECTION 1.Section 69520 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 69519.3, to read:69520.(a)The commission shall establish a state-funded Food Support Pilot Program to provide California Food Assistance Program benefits to students who submit a California Dream Act application.(b)The commission shall ensure that students who submit a California Dream Act application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for the Food Support Pilot Program and receive instruction on how to apply for the pilot program.(c)This section shall become operative only upon appropriation of funds for this purpose by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or in another statute.(d)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1.Section 69520 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 69519.3, to read:69520.

(a)The commission shall establish a state-funded Food Support Pilot Program to provide California Food Assistance Program benefits to students who submit a California Dream Act application.

(b)The commission shall ensure that students who submit a California Dream Act application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for the Food Support Pilot Program and receive instruction on how to apply for the pilot program.

(c)This section shall become operative only upon appropriation of funds for this purpose by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or in another statute.

(d)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

SECTION 1.Section 66025.94 is added to the Education Code, to read:66025.94.Each campus of the California State University and each campus of the California Community Colleges shall ensure, and each campus of the University of California are requested to ensure, that on-campus food vendors accept payment through an EBT system.SEC. 2.Section 18901.13 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.13.(a)Upon appropriation for the purposes of this section, the department shall establish a program of participating counties to streamline the CalFresh application process for students.(b)The department shall solicit applications from counties.(c)Counties that participate in the program shall meet both of the following requirements:(1)Select a county to be the central hub to process CalFresh applications of students for all of the participating counties.(2)Designate and train centralized staff for the central hub pursuant to paragraph (1).(d)For purposes of this section, student includes attendance at a district of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California.SEC. 3.Section 18901.14 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.14.(a)The department shall collaborate with the Student Aid Commission to ensure that students who submit a California Dream Act Application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for CalFresh and receive instruction on how to apply for CalFresh.(b)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1.Section 66025.94 is added to the Education Code, to read:66025.94.

Each campus of the California State University and each campus of the California Community Colleges shall ensure, and each campus of the University of California are requested to ensure, that on-campus food vendors accept payment through an EBT system.

SEC. 2.Section 18901.13 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.13.

(a)Upon appropriation for the purposes of this section, the department shall establish a program of participating counties to streamline the CalFresh application process for students.

(b)The department shall solicit applications from counties.

(c)Counties that participate in the program shall meet both of the following requirements:

(1)Select a county to be the central hub to process CalFresh applications of students for all of the participating counties.

(2)Designate and train centralized staff for the central hub pursuant to paragraph (1).

(d)For purposes of this section, student includes attendance at a district of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California.

SEC. 3.Section 18901.14 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18901.14.

(a)The department shall collaborate with the Student Aid Commission to ensure that students who submit a California Dream Act Application are notified if they meet the income eligibility guidelines for CalFresh and receive instruction on how to apply for CalFresh.

(b)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

SECTION 1.Section 10000 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:10000.The purpose of this division is to provide protection, care, and assistance to the people of the state in need of it, and to promote the welfare and happiness of all of the people of the state by providing appropriate aid and services to all of the people in the state who are needy and distressed. It is the intent of the Legislature that aid shall be administered and services provided promptly and humanely, with due regard for the preservation of family life and without discrimination on account of ancestry, marital status, political affiliation, or any characteristic listed or defined in Section 11135 of the Government Code. Aid shall be administered and services provided in that manner to the extent not in conflict with federal law, in order to encourage self-respect, self-reliance, and the desire to be a good citizen and useful to society.

Date	Status
May 19, 2022	In committee: Held under submission.
May 19, 2022	Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 4736.)
May 18, 2022	In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
May 2, 2022	Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Apr 28, 2022	Read second time and amended.
Apr 27, 2022	From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 26).
Apr 7, 2022	Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.
Apr 6, 2022	From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.
Apr 5, 2022	In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
Mar 28, 2022	Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.
Mar 24, 2022	Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and HIGHER ED.
Feb 19, 2022	From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
Feb 18, 2022	Introduced. To print.

Authors shown for version:
Amended Assembly (4/28/2022)