Human Services

Food Assistance

CalFresh and CFAP

CalFresh and the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Are California’s Two Largest Food Assistance Programs. CalFresh is California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides federally funded monthly food assistance to qualifying low-income households. CFAP provides state-funded nutrition benefits to low-income legal permanent residents who have resided in the U.S. for less than five years and are therefore ineligible for CalFresh.

Budgeted CalFresh and CFAP Spending Remains Relatively Flat Year Over Year. As shown in Figure 1, the spending plan provides a total of $14.9 billion (all funds) to support CalFresh and CFAP in 2024-25, a decrease of about $23 million (less than 1 percent) relative to estimated spending in 2023-24. The year-over-year reduction is the net effect of decreased administrative costs (largely due to the over-estimation of caseload in 2023-24) offset by increased benefit costs (due to projected caseload growth and increased average monthly benefit amounts in 2024-25).

Figure 1

CalFresh and CFAP Budget Summary

(Dollars in Millions)

	2023‑24 Revised^a	2024‑25 Appropriated	Change From 2023‑24 Revised to 2024‑25 Appropriated
	2023‑24 Revised^a	2024‑25 Appropriated	Amount	Percent
CalFresh Households	3,063,889	3,089,948	26,059	1%
CFAP Households	25,700	27,700	2,000	8%
Benefits
CalFresh Benefits^b	$12,160	$12,299	$138	1%
CFAP Benefits^c	115	124	9	8
Subtotals	($12,275)	($12,422)	($147)	(1%)
Administration
Federal Share	$1,297	$1,217	‑$80	‑6%
State Share	962	896	‑66	‑7
County Share	366	342	‑24	‑7
Subtotals	($2,626)	($2,456)	(‑$170)	(‑6%)
Totals	$14,901	$14,878	‑$23	‑0.2%
^aExcludes federal funding for temporary Pandemic EBT benefits and associated administration and automation costs. ^bCalFresh benefits are 100 percent federally funded. The administration estimates an average monthly benefit of $332 per household. CalFresh benefits also include replacement benefits. ^cCFAP benefits are 100 percent General Fund. The administration estimates an average monthly benefit of $372 per household. CFAP benefits also include replacement benefits.
CFAP = California Food Assistance Program and EBT = Electronic Benefits Transfer.

Spending Plan Delays CFAP Expansion. Some immigrants, such as those who are undocumented, are currently ineligible for CFAP based on immigration status. Recent spending plans included funding to expand CFAP to all income-eligible noncitizens aged 55 and older, regardless of immigration status. Implementation of the expansion was expected in October 2025. However, as a budget solution, the 2024-25 spending plan delays the expansion implementation by two years. Automation for the expansion is now expected to begin in 2026-27, with benefit distribution to begin in 2027-28 (for newly eligible recipients). General Fund savings associated with the delay total $31 million in 2024-25 and $115 million in 2025-26.

Other CDSS-Administered Food Assistance Programs

Spending Plan Includes $1.9 Billion in Mostly Federal Funding for Other California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Food Programs. As shown in Figure 2, the spending plan includes almost $2 billion ($179 million General Fund) for other CDSS-administered food assistance programs and pilots (some federal or state food programs, like the California Department of Education’s Universal Meals Program, are administered by other departments).

Figure 2

2024‑25 Funding for Other CDSS‑Administered State and Federal Food Assistance Programs

(In Millions)

Program	Description	Total	Federal	State
SUN Bucks (Summer EBT Program)^a	Provides food benefits during the summer months to school‑aged children qualified for free or reduced‑price meals.	$1150	$1077	$73
CACFP^b	Reimburses some operators of child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers for food served.	619	610	9
TEFAP and Emergency Food For Families^c	Distributes domestically grown foods to food banks and emergency feeding organizations. Emergency Food for Families supplements existing TEFAP funds.	21	20	1
Commodity Supplemental Food Program	Provides supplemental food to low‑income persons 60 years of age or older through various local agencies, which determine eligibility and provide nutrition education.	11	11	—
SNB and TNB Programs	Provide monthly supplemental or transitional benefits to households that saw a decrease in CalFresh benefits or became ineligible for CalFresh when SSI/SSP recipients became newly eligible for CalFresh in 2019.	30	—	30
WINS	Provides a supplemental $10 food benefit to families who are receiving CalFresh or CFAP, but not receiving CalWORKs assistance, and who are working 20 to 35 hours per week, depending on family composition.	20	—	20
CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot	Will provide eligible CalFresh recipients with a minimum monthly benefit of $50 for 12 months. CDSS is in the process of determining the pilot area or population.	16	—	16
CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot	Provides a dollar‑for‑dollar match up to $60 per month when CalFresh households purchase fresh fruits or vegetables at select farmers’ markets and grocery stores.	10	—	10
Diaper Bank	Provides funding for 11 food banks to distribute diapers and wipes to low‑income families.	9	—	9
CalFood Program	Provides funding for food banks for emergency food and administration.	8	—	8
Tribal Nutrition Assistance Program	Provides grants to eligible tribes and tribal organizations to address food insecurity and inequities between CalFresh benefits and the Food Distribution Program for Indian Reservations.	5	—	5
Totals		$1,898	$1,718	$180
^aSUN Bucks (formerly Summer EBT program) benefits funding is 100 percent federal. Outreach, administration, and automation funding is 50 percent federal and 50 percent General Fund. ^bCACFP is federally funded through the Food and Nutrition Service. The state funding is provided through Proposition 98 and non‑Proposition 98 General Fund. ^cTEFAP is 100 percent federally funded. Emergency Food for Families funding is 100 percent state tax revenue collections.
EBT = Electronic Benefit Transfer; CDSS = California Department of Social Services; CACFP = Child and Adult Care Food Program; TEFAP = The Emergency Food Assistance Program; SNB = Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Program; TNB = Transitional Nutrition Benefit Program; SSI/SSP = Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment; and WINS = Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement.

SUN Bucks and CalFood Are Programs With Largest Year-Over-Year Changes. Funding for the SUN Bucks program—formerly called the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program—increased by about $896 million year over year ($59 million General Fund) relative to 2023-24. This increase largely reflects the impact of a full-year’s SUN Bucks caseload in 2024-25 (compared to 2023-24 partial-year caseload) as the program implementation continues. CalFood funding decreased by $52 million General Fund (relative to 2023-24) due to the expiration of a one-time augmentation.

Provides One-Time Funding for CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot. The CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot will ensure pilot participants receive, at minimum, $50 in monthly CalFresh benefits (rather than the current minimum of $23). The 2023-24 Budget Act authorized the pilot and included $915,000 General Fund (one time) for automation costs. The 2024-25 spending plan includes $15 million General Fund on a one-time basis for the implementation of the pilot program, which will begin in 2024-25. According to the administration, CDSS is in the process of determining the pilot area or population.

Provides One-Time Funding for Diaper Banks. The spending plan also includes $9 million General Fund on a one-time basis for the Diaper Bank program, which provides funding to food banks for the distribution of diapers and wipes to low-income families with young children. The Diaper Bank program received three other one-time appropriations over the last six years—$10 million through the 2018-19 Budget Act, $8 million in 2019-20, and $30 million in 2021-22 (all General Fund).

Other Food Assistance Policy Changes

The 2024-25 budget package also includes legislation making changes to previous initiatives, which we describe below.

Permanently Authorizes the Emergency Food Bank Reserve Program. The Emergency Food Bank Reserve Program, created in the 2020-21 Budget Act, provides food banks with food and funding to help prevent hunger during natural or human-made disasters. The 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 Budget Acts each allowed the Department of Finance to replenish funds in the State Emergency Food Bank Reserve as needed and upon request from CDSS. The spending plan codifies the program in state law, requiring that CDSS administer the program, subject to appropriation, and providing the department with authority to distribute the funds upon a proclamation or declaration of a disaster or state of emergency by a California county or city. There is no General Fund impact associated with the codification of this program.

Extends the Duration of the CalFresh Safe Drinking Water Pilot. Through the Safe Drinking Water pilot, CalFresh participants in areas of Kern County with failing water systems receive time-limited supplemental monthly benefits of $50 to increase access to safe drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Pilot was established through the 2017-18 Budget Act, which appropriated about $4 million General Fund for pilot benefits. Benefit issuances began in March 2022. The pilot was originally scheduled to end in February 2023, subject to available funding. However, in November 2022, the pilot was extended until October 31, 2023 due to remaining allocated funds. The 2024-25 spending plan further extends the duration of the pilot until all previously allocated funding is expended or until September 30, 2025, whichever is later. There is no General Fund impact associated with the pilot extension.

Modifies Food Benefit Theft Reimbursement Policies. The federal Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2023 mandated federal reimbursement of SNAP (or CalFresh in California) food benefit theft. States may use federal funds to replace SNAP benefits stolen through card skimming, cloning, or scamming from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024. Prior to the passage of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, California used General Fund to replace electronically stolen CalFresh benefits in accordance with state regulations, which allowed for the replacement of up to one month’s benefit allotment no more than twice in a six-month period. In December 2023, CDSS modified state policies and procedures to align with federal regulations (allowing for the replacement of up to two months of benefits no more than twice per federal fiscal year) and began replacing stolen CalFresh benefits using federal funds. The spending plan codifies these state policy changes regarding the maximum allowable replacement and replacement frequency.

Additionally, the spending plan requires that counties replace stolen benefits as soon as administratively feasible, but no more than ten business days after the receipt of the replacement request. Under current law, California will return to reimbursing stolen food benefits using state funds on October 1, 2024. The spending plan adopts a policy to halt state-funded reimbursements if federally funded reimbursements become available again in the future.

Continues EBT Card Replacement Effort. The 2023-24 Budget Act included funding (about $75 million total funds over multiple years) to improve EBT card technology and security through the rollout of new cards with chip and tap-to-pay technologies. The 2024-25 spending plan continues this effort, shifting some funds between years due to automation activity timing, with the total projected multiyear cost remaining at around $75 million. The spending plan includes supplemental reporting language that requires CDSS to provide a monthly report (beginning September 30, 2024) to the Legislature with updates on the implementation of the new EBT cards, including expected timing, information on how risks to consumers are being minimized throughout the implementation, and details on funding for the implementation and benefit replacement efforts.

Requires Status Report on CalFresh-Related Higher Education Data-Sharing Agreement. The spending plan requires CDSS (in consultation with the California Community Colleges, the University of California, the California State University, and the California Student Aid Commission) to report to the Legislature on efforts to create a statewide data-sharing agreement aligned with federal SNAP disclosure regulations that could help identify new, continuing, and returning college students who are potentially eligible for CalFresh benefits or who have unsuccessfully applied to CalFresh. The report must be provided on or before February 1, 2025 and must include information on barriers to creating the data-sharing agreement and costs associated with creating the agreement. Refer to the Supplemental Report of the 2024-25 Budget Act report for additional information.

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