6.2.2017 Thanks to your advocacy and support for improved access to healthy food, all three CFPA-sponsored bills have passed their house of origin. We are halfway there! These bills will need your continued support to make it to Governor Brown’s desk.
SB 138 and SB 782 will help to ensure that California students have access to healthy, free school meals, and that schools receive the maximum available funding to support school meals programs. AB 164 will make sure that the state’s CalFresh system is prepared to meet the needs of Californians if federal assistance isn’t enough.
State Legislation Update and Call for Support
AB 164 passed off the Assembly Floor this week, with a 65-4 vote! AB 164 creates a flexible and cost-effective way to provide state CalFresh food assistance when federal assistance is unavailable or inadequate.
AB 164 (Arambula) – California Leads to Meet Food Needs, would allow California Food Assistance to be provided through the CalFresh EBT system if federal assistance does not meet California’s needs. Now that AB 164 is headed to the Senate, we need your support once again!
The Senate Committee on Human Services will need new, updated letters of support for the record- even if you submitted one in the Assembly. Letters are due to the Committee by Tues, June 20. Please send in an updated letter of support ASAP. doc
To learn more, visit CFPA’s AB 164 page.
SB 782 passed off the Senate Floor last week, with a 39-0 vote! SB 782 would support school districts to use California foods in freshly prepared school meals.
SB 782 (Skinner) – California-Grown Fresh School Meals Fund, will establish a grant program at the California Department of Food and Agriculture to incentivize public schools to serve more California-grown food in freshly prepared school meals. Now that 782 is headed to the Assembly, we need your support once again!
The Assembly Committee on Agriculture will need new, updated letters of support for the record- even if you submitted one in the Senate. Letters are due to the Committee by Wed, June 14. Please send in an updated letter of support ASAP. doc
To learn more, visit CFPA’s SB 782 page.
SB 138 passed off the Senate Floor last week, with a 40-0 vote. SB 138 would increase access to school meals by improving the way school districts enroll students for school meals by implementing Medi-Cal Direct Certification statewide and expanding the reach of universally free school meals.
SB 138 (McGuire)- Count Me In: Expand Access to School Meals, aims to enroll more than 650,000 students directly into school meals through Medi-Cal Direct Certification, which will enable schools to make meals available free of charge to all students through a universal meal provision.
We will be putting out a call for updated letters of support for SB 138 shortly. Stay tuned for a call to action!
To learn more, visit CFPA’s SB 138 page.
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Questions: Contact Tracey Patterson at 510.433.1122 ext 101, or tracey@cfpa.net
