SB1325 - CalFood Program.

Amended IN Senate April 27, 2026 Amended IN Senate March 25, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 1325 Introduced by Senator Jones February 20, 2026 An act to amend Section 18995 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1325, as amended, Jones. CalFood Program. Existing law establishes the CalFood Program, administered by the State Department of Social Services, and requires the CalFood Program to provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to food banks established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program whose ongoing primary function is to facilitate the distribution of food to low-income households, as specified. This bill would additionally require the CalFood Program to provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to food banks that are members of the nonprofit organization Feeding America that are based in California or members of the California Association of Food Banks, as specified. California, located in a county with a population of over 3,000,000 people, and are not established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, if they meet specified requirements. 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 18995 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18995. (a) (1) The State Emergency Food Assistance Program, which is administered by the State Department of Social Services, shall be renamed as the “CalFood Program.” The CalFood Program shall provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to all both of the following food banks whose ongoing primary function is to facilitate the distribution of food to low-income households: (A) Food banks established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (7 C.F.R. Parts 250 and 251). (B) Food banks that are members of the nonprofit organization Feeding America that are based in California. California, located in a county with a population of over 3,000,000 people, and are not established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (7 C.F.R. Parts 250 and 251), if they meet all of the following requirements: (C) Food banks that are members of the California Association of Food Banks. (i) The food bank shall comply with the federal and state eligibility determination, food ordering procedures, storage and warehousing practices, inventory controls, approval of distribution sites, reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and civil rights laws and regulations required of the food banks described in subparagraph (A). (ii) The food bank shall provide evidence that there are households within the county it serves that are not served by a food bank described in subparagraph (A) under the CalFood Program, but that are instead served by the food bank within its current network. (iii) The food bank shall use 100 percent of the funding received under the CalFood Program for food purchases. (2) Any federal funding received for the CalFood Program may be provided to a food bank described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) only to the extent permitted under federal law. (b) (1) The CalFood Account is hereby established in the Emergency Food for Families Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund established pursuant to Section 18852 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and may receive federal funds and voluntary donations or contributions. (2) Notwithstanding Section 18853 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the following shall apply: (A) (i) All moneys received by the CalFood Account shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the State Department of Social Services for allocation to the CalFood Program and, excluding those contributions made pursuant to Section 18851 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and funds received through Parts 250 and 251 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, shall be used for the purchase, storage, and transportation of food grown or produced in California. (ii) The percentage of storage and transportation expenditures compared to the CalFood Program fund’s annual budget may be increased from their levels in the 2021–22 fiscal year after a determination by the department in consultation with food bank stakeholders to reflect the true costs to acquire, store, and distribute foods purchased through the CalFood Program. The department shall report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on any changes to the rate and the supporting methodology. (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), funds received by the CalFood Account shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the State Department of Social Services for allocation to the CalFood Program as described in subparagraph (A), and shall, in part, be used to pay for the department’s administrative costs associated with the administration of the CalFood Program. (c) (1) The Public Higher Education Pantry Assistance Program Account is hereby established in the Emergency Food for Families Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund established pursuant to Section 18852 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (2) Notwithstanding Section 18853 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, funds in the Public Higher Education Pantry Assistance Program Account shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the State Department of Social Services for allocation to food banks established pursuant to Parts 250 and 251 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations that meet both of the following criteria: (A) The primary function of the food bank is the distribution of food to low-income households. (B) The food bank has identified specific costs associated with supporting on-campus pantry and hunger relief efforts serving low-income students.