CalFresh: enrollment: institutions of higher education.

Existing law provides for the CalFresh program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing law requires each campus of the California State University and the California Community Colleges, and requests each campus of the University of California, to include on the internet website-based account for an enrolled student notification of, and a link to information on, specified public services and programs, including the CalFresh program. Existing law, until January 1, 2022, also encourages the Regents of the University of California, requires the Trustees of the California State University, and authorizes the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to designate as a "hunger-free campus" each of the institutions' respective campuses that meet specified criteria, including having a campus employee designated to help ensure that students have the information they need to enroll in CalFresh. This 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, no later than July 1, 2021, and in consultation with the State Department of Social Services and county human services agencies, establish a CalFresh student outreach program to provide students with a link to an internet website with information on applying for CalFresh benefits and to provide students with the name and telephone number of the CalFresh eligibility worker on their respective campus, if one is available. The bill would require a college within those institutions to implement the program by text message, if the college has an existing text message system, or, if not, by email. By imposing additional duties on community colleges to implement these provisions, this bill would 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 the statutory provisions noted above.