SB444 - State Healthy Food Access Policy.

Amended IN Assembly July 03, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 444 Introduced by Senator Hurtado February 18, 2025 An act to amend Section 18700 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to food access. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 444, as amended, Hurtado. State Healthy Food Access Policy. 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. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 18700 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18700. (a) (1) It is hereby declared to be the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient locally grown and raised, affordable and healthy food. (2) Food insecurity is defined as the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs to live a healthy life and the uncertainty of being able to acquire enough food to meet the needs of an individual or household due to insufficient money or other resources. (b) (1) All relevant state agencies, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Social Services, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Education, and the State Department of Public Health, shall consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient locally grown and raised, affordable and healthy food. (2) The state agencies listed in paragraph (1) shall report to the Legislature by January 1, 2027, at a minimum, their progress on revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient locally grown and raised, affordable and healthy food. (c) This section does not expand any obligation of the state to provide food or nutrition assistance or to require the expenditure of additional resources to develop food infrastructure. (d) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (b) is inoperative on January 1, 2031, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code. (2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.