Alameda County Community Food Bank

2007-2008 Bills

AB 2300 – Connecting MediCAL families to school meals – Assemblymember John Laird – With the passage of the bill, the California Department of Education will begin to design and implement a computer match to use Medi-Cal participation for enrolling more eligible children for free and reduced price meals. — signed by the Governor!

AB 2726 – Healthy Food Purchase Pilot – Assemblymember of Mark Leno – At the core of this effort is the use of the food stamp EBT card to deliver a financial incentive to support produce purchases. This bill will also help corner stores to obtain the tools they need to supply fresh produce to their communities, such as proper refrigeration. Thanks to all who helped in this effort. – signed by the Governor!

AB 433 – Asset rules, connecting food stamps and MediCAL – Assemblymember Jim Beall – No more asset test and a new name! AB 433 requires the California Department of Social Services to develop and propose a new name for the Food Stamp Program! In addition to a name change, California Food Stamps will no longer have an asset limit for eligibility, which will make it possible for more needy families to receive benefits. In a state with high costs of living like California, families need stored assets of more than $2,000 in the case of job loss or emergencies. With the success of AB 433, it is estimated that 32,000 additional households in California will be able to receive benefits to assist them to put more food on the table. – signed by the Governor.

SB 1101 – Personal Income contributions to the Emergency Food Program – Senator Cedillo – The check-off bill that will secure a spot for food banks on the California Tax Form. This brings in money to food banks for food purchase and helps remind Californian's about hunger. – signed by the Governor!

AB 2844 – Removing red tape from the Food Stamp Program – Assemblymember John Laird – The bill to have California join the 48 other states using a simplified reporting system for food stamps. While it will eventually save more than $40 million on an annual basis, there are some significant upfront costs with making the move to six-month reporting. – vetoed by the Governor.

AB 1996 – Transitional Support bill – Assemblymember Sandre Swanson –A bill that would allow individuals returning from prison to receive food stamps. –vetoed by the Governor.