CalFresh eligibility.

Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Under existing law, a person convicted of specified drug offenses, including transporting, selling, furnishing, administering, giving away, possessing for sale, purchasing for purpose of sale, or manufacturing a controlled substance, is ineligible to receive CalFresh benefits. Existing law authorizes the payment of CalFresh benefits to other convicted drug felons who have participated in, or are on the waiting list for, a drug treatment program, or who can show other evidence that the illegal use of controlled substances has ceased. This bill would authorize CalFresh benefits to be paid to an individual who is convicted in state or federal court after December 31, 1997, of any offense classified as a felony that has as an element the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance, as defined. If the person is on supervised release, he or she would be ineligible for CalFresh benefits during any period of revocation of that supervised release where the revocation results in the individual's incarceration. The bill would authorize implementation and administration of these provisions by all-county letters or similar instructions from the Director of Social Services, developed in consultation with specified entities, and would, thereafter, require the State Department of Social Services to adopt regulations by January 1, 2015. Because counties administer CalFresh, this bill would increase county duties by potentially expanding the eligible population, and would thereby impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.