The 2022-23 California Spending Plan

Human Services

Nutrition Assistance

Provides Temporary Augmentation to CalFresh Administrative Funding. CalFresh provides federally funded nutrition assistance to low-income Californians. Although the benefits are federally funded, related administrative costs are split between the federal, state, and county governments. State administrative funding generally increases or decreases in line with projected caseload changes but does not automatically increase alongside the cost of doing business. (Existing statute requires a forthcoming revision to this funding formula, with 2022-23 budget-related legislation requiring the revised formula to be in place beginning in 2023-24.) The spending plan provides a temporary augmentation of $95 million total funds ($35 million General Fund) to CalFresh administrative funding.

Expands the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to All Immigrants Age 55 or Older. Under prior law, CFAP provides state-funded nutrition benefits to low-income legal permanent residents who have resided in the U.S. for less than five years. (These individuals would otherwise be eligible for CalFresh benefits, but were rendered ineligible by a federal welfare reform bill passed in 1996.) The 2021-22 budget included funding to begin an “age-based” expansion of CFAP to otherwise ineligible immigrants. The 2022-23 spending plan further defines this expansion—opening this program to all individuals aged 55 or older who are ineligible for CalFresh due solely to their immigration status. The spending plan includes $35.2 million General Fund in 2022-23 for necessary planning and automation changes, with this amount projected to increase to $113.4 million General Fund by the time benefits are fully implemented in 2025-26.

Temporarily Augments State Support for Food Banks. The spending plan provides a total of $112 million General Fund in 2022-23 (and $52 million in 2023-24) to augment the CalFood program, which provides funding to a network of food banks throughout the state.

Creates Nutrition Assistance Grant Program for Tribal Communities. The spending plan allocates $5 million General Fund ongoing to create the Tribal Nutrition Assistance Program, through which the Department of Social Services will award grants to tribal organizations to address food insecurity in their communities.