SB 1325 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

CalFood Program.

Summary

Existing law establishes the CalFood Program, administered by the State Department of Social Services, and requires the CalFood Program to provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to food banks established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program whose ongoing primary function is to facilitate the distribution of food to low-income households, as specified. This bill would additionally require the CalFood Program to provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to food banks that are members of the nonprofit organization Feeding America that are based in California, located in a county with a population of over 3,000,000 people, and are not established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, if they meet specified requirements.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action May 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/25/26 - Amended Senate → 04/27/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Apr 27, 2026

MODERATE

The April 27 amendment makes two major substantive changes: it removes the entire second section of the bill that dealt with EBT acceptance at farmers' markets, and it significantly narrows which Feeding America member food banks qualify for CalFood Program funding by limiting eligibility to those in counties with over 3 million people who are not already established under the federal program, while adding new compliance requirements. The federal funding restriction is also narrowed to apply only to the Feeding America category rather than both non-federal categories.

SCOPE

The entire provision amending Section 10072.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code was deleted. This section had allowed collective groups of produce sellers at flea markets, farmers' markets, and certified farmers' markets to initiate and operate EBT acceptance systems on behalf of their members.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility for Feeding America member food banks under the CalFood Program was narrowed. Previously any Feeding America member based in California qualified. Now they must also be located in a county with a population over 3,000,000 (in practice, Los Angeles or San Diego County), not already be established under the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, and meet three new requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Three new compliance requirements were added for Feeding America member food banks: (1) comply with federal and state eligibility determination, food ordering, storage, inventory control, distribution site approval, reporting, recordkeeping, and civil rights requirements; (2) provide evidence that households in their county are not served by a federal EFAP food bank but are served by them; (3) use 100 percent of CalFood Program funding for food purchases.

FISCAL

The restriction on providing federal funds to non-federal food banks was narrowed. Previously it applied to both Feeding America members and California Association of Food Banks members. Now it applies only to the Feeding America category, removing the federal funding restriction for California Association of Food Banks members.

TECHNICAL

The legislative digest removed the 'Electronic Benefits Transfer Act' reference and changed the fiscal committee vote from 'no' to 'yes', consistent with the removal of the EBT section.

02/20/26 - Introduced → 03/25/26 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

The amended Senate version of SB 1325 adds an entirely new Section 18995 to the Welfare and Institutions Code that renames the State Emergency Food Assistance Program as the CalFood Program, expands which food banks can receive its funding, and establishes new accounts including one for college campus pantries. The original bill only made technical, nonsubstantive changes to EBT acceptance rules at farmers' markets. This amendment transforms the bill from a minor cleanup into a significant restructuring of California's emergency food assistance system.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded dramatically from making only technical, nonsubstantive changes to EBT acceptance rules at produce markets to also creating a new statutory framework for the CalFood Program, expanding eligible food banks, establishing new funding accounts, and adding a program specifically for college campus pantries serving low-income students.

SCOPE

Adds new Section 18995 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, expanding the bill's scope far beyond its original technical EBT market provisions.

ELIGIBILITY

Expands CalFood Program eligibility to include food banks that are members of Feeding America based in California and members of the California Association of Food Banks, in addition to those established under the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program.

FISCAL

Establishes a CalFood Account in the Emergency Food for Families Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund and requires that funds (excluding certain contributions and federal funds) be used for purchase, storage, and transportation of food grown or produced in California.

Establishes a Public Higher Education Pantry Assistance Program Account to fund on-campus pantry and hunger relief efforts serving low-income students at public higher education institutions.

Fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new fiscal implications of the CalFood Program provisions.

REQUIREMENT

Allows the percentage of storage and transportation expenditures relative to the CalFood Program annual budget to be increased from 2021-22 levels after a department determination in consultation with food bank stakeholders, with reporting to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

TECHNICAL

Retains the original technical changes to Section 10072.1 (fixing 'shall' to 'does not,' 'prohibit' to 'prohibits,' updating pronouns from 'his or her' to 'their').

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

upper

Apr 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 3. Noes 0. Page 3955.) (April 20).

upper

Apr 8, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUMAN S.

upper

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors