We have some good news to share amidst all of the pressing issues facing the state and nation. On March 13, the U.S. District Court for D.C. issued a nationwide injunction halting USDA’s proposed final rule on SNAP time limits from taking effect. For the 700,000 low-income households expected to lose SNAP (CalFresh in CA) under the waiver changes, this is welcome news.
CFPA and our anti-hunger partners would like to thank our network of supporters and stakeholders for your tireless work to submit and garner public comments, inform media and decision makers, and empower communities to voice opposition to the harmful rule. We thank you all, and know that we could not have reached this positive outcome without you. A special thanks to our extraordinary national partners at the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, FRAC, and Feeding America who were exceptional leaders and organizers. And our thanks go out to Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Javier Becerra for their leadership in joining the litigation efforts.
What this means and what’s next
The ruling means that current ABAWD time limit waiver criteria remain in place until a final decision about whether the rule must be withdrawn is made. This is essentially a temporary pause on the proposed waiver rule—the court will still need to hear arguments and render a final decision. There is no expected date for that decision.
Friday’s injunction also allowed the discretionary exemption-related provisions of the rule to take effect October 1 as planned.
The Trump Administration may appeal or request a delay of the court’s decision. This would essentially request that the rule needs to take effect on April 1.
CFPA and our anti-hunger partners will continue to work with CDSS and county administrators to ensure that any time limit rules are implemented in a way that prioritizes keeping clients connected to CalFresh benefits. Please stay tuned for more updates from CFPA on how you can help protect food assistance for low-income Californians.
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Questions? Contact: Melissa Cannon at 209.200.8446 or Jared Call at 323.401.4972.
