James Gallagher

Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county.

Existing law declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law requires all relevant state agencies, as specified, to consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and grant criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient affordable food.

This bill would revise that declaration to provide that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food that is locally grown and raised. The bill would require the specified state agencies to, within existing resources, identify opportunities and strategies to improve farm-to-fork infrastructure, including, but not limited to, in public programs, particularly school meals and other nutrition initiatives. The bill would require the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and encourage the Regents of the University of California, to consider that state policy in their policies, guidelines, and procurement practices related to campus food services and student nutrition.