AB 2033

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , administered in California as CalFresh, under which each county distributes nutrition assistance benefits provided by the federal government to eligible households for the purchase of certain eligible foods at approved retail food stores. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. 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 and CalWORKs benefits through the use of the EBT system. Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires each campus of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the California State University, and requests the Regents of the University of California, to provide, as a part of campus orientation, educational information to all incoming students about certain public benefit programs, including, among others, CalFresh and the student eligibility requirements for CalFresh. This bill would require, on or before September 1, 2025, each campus of the California Community Colleges and each campus of the California State University, and request each University of California campus, if it has a general store or a store that sells food on campus, to identify and apply for at least one general store or a store that sells food on campus to become an authorized retail food store under SNAP and, if approved, ensure the store or stores accept the use of EBT cards, as specified. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires each community college campus to establish the position of the Basic Needs Coordinator to assist students with on- and off-campus housing, food, mental health, and other basic needs services and resources, among other responsibilities, and to establish a Basic Needs Center where basic needs services, resources, and staff are made available to students, as provided. Existing law requires each community college campus to develop a document for students that clearly lists all on- and off-campus basic needs services and resources that includes specified information. Existing law requires each community college campus to report specified information related to basic needs services and resources to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and requires the chancellor's office to develop and submit to the Governor and the Legislature an annual report based on, among other things, the data and information reported by campuses. This bill would require each community college campus, on or before September 1, 2025, to update the basic needs services and resources document to include the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service's "SNAP Retail Locator" internet website link, as specified. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require each California State University campus, and request each University of California campus, to also establish the position of Basic Needs Coordinator and establish a Basic Needs Center, as described above. The bill would also require each California State University campus, and request each University of California campus, to develop, on or before February 1, 2025, among other things, a document for students that clearly lists on- and off-campus basic needs services and resources that includes specified information, including the "SNAP Retail Locator" internet website link, as specified. The bill would require each California State University campus to report to the office of the Chancellor of the California State University, and would request each University of California campus to report to the office of the President of the University of California, specified information related to basic needs services and resources. The bill would require the office of the Chancellor of the California State University, and would request the office of the President of the University of California, to develop and submit to the Governor and the Legislature on or before March 1 of every year from 2026 to 2030, inclusive, a report based on, among other things, the data and information reported by the campuses. (3) 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.