Before the federal government shutdown became imminent — and before the risk of a hunger crisis was clear — Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-La Mesa) introduced a bill aimed at preventing any reduction in CalFresh benefits, if federal funding were ever cut.
Assembly Bill (AB 1211), “CalFresh Eligibility,” would’ve required the State Department of Social Services to ensure CalFresh benefits remain at least at the level in effect on Jan. 20, 2025, if Washington decides to reduce spending on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – known as CalFresh in California.
The bill, which mandated a feasibility study on increasing CalFresh eligibility and benefits, was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 23 and did not advance to the Assembly floor for a vote. AB 1211 is part of Sharp-Collins’ Working for Families Legislative Package.
Before Nov. 1, the ongoing federal government shutdown had put SNAP benefits at risk of suspension for the month of November. On Oct. 31, just one day before the payments were set to stop, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to continue funding the program. In response to the uncertainty, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California is fast-tracking $80 million in state funds to bolster food banks around the state.
“Last year, I introduced legislation for a scenario exactly like this. We are now staring into the consequences of letting vital programs collapse. Destroying CalFresh would cause irreversible damage to our communities,” Sharp-Collins stated. “The last thing any Californian should have to worry about is where their next meal will come from. Children, seniors, veterans, and families living in poverty depend on CalFresh.”
Like Sharp-Collins, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), had similar foresight on protecting CalFresh. In March, Weber Pierson co-authored Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 3 with Sen. Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley) urging the United States Government to avoid any cuts to the federal nutrition program.
The Senate approved the resolution on July 15 with a unanimous vote before it was chaptered by the Secretary of State three days later.
“Twenty two percent of households in California are food insecure, and 27% of households with children in the state are food insecure,” said Weber Pierson at a SJR hearing in May. “Rates of food insecurity are higher than the statewide average for Black and Hispanic, or Latino, households.”
Weber Pierson said CalFresh is California’s primary anti-poverty program.
AB 1211 is currently a two-year bill in the Legislature. It did not move forward in the 2025 legislative session, but remains active for consideration in the second year of the 2025-2026 legislative session.
Both Sharp-Collins and Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), who is also a member of the CLBC, are the co-chairs of the Assembly’s Select Committee on CalFresh Enrollment and Nutrition. Both played key roles in the state’s response to the looming federal cuts.