AB 2765 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

CalFresh and CalWORKs: childhood hunger and foster youth.

Summary

Existing federal law establishes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing federal law limits a participant who is an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) to 3 months of CalFresh benefits in a 3-year period unless that participant has met work participation requirements or is otherwise exempt. Existing state law requires the State Department of Social Services to annually seek a federal waiver of this limitation. Existing state law requires the department to ensure that all recipients subject to the federal ABAWD time limit are permitted to meet the work requirements of the time limit through all forms of work, as specified. Existing federal law, Public Law 119-21, enacted on July 4, 2025, sets forth various changes to SNAP benefits, including the removal of an exemption from the time limit for certain former foster youth under 25 years of age, and the narrowing of an exemption for a household with a dependent under 18 years of age to instead a household with a dependent under 14 years of age, as specified. This bill would specify that an ABAWD participant includes a parent or other member of a household with responsibility for a dependent child 14 years of age or older as a result of Public Law 119-21. The bill would make various statements of legislative intent relating to, among other things, maximizing efforts to retain in the program as many eligible CalFresh recipients as possible, providing for the continuation of food benefits, mitigating harm, and streamlining the verification of exemptions for certain populations, in response to Public Law 119-21, as specified. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that all exemptions provided by the state and the counties under Public Law 119-21, to the extent permitted by federal law and guidance, remain in effect for any recipient until, at the earliest, the next scheduled redetermination for that recipient, when the exemption is reassessed by the county, unless the automated exemption at redetermination allows for the exemption to continue. The bill would state legislative intent that a recipient not be discontinued from the CalFresh program due to the ABAWD work requirements under Public Law 119-21 before October 1, 2026, or until specified administrative activities are complete, whichever is later. The bill would generally require the department to provide data to certain legislative committees and all 58 county welfare departments on the total number of CalFresh recipients subject to, exempted from, or discontinued from the program potentially due to, the CalFresh ABAWD time limit and corresponding work requirements, as specified. Under the bill, prior to the first 2 reports, the data would be furnished to impacted counties with a minimum of 4 weeks for review prior to public reporting in order to ensure accuracy. The bill would also require the department to provide data on the total number of CalFresh recipients discontinued from the program, as specified. The bill would require the department to adopt, provide instructions to counties on, and automate for, compliance with CalFresh work requirements, in accordance with federal law, for individuals participating in extended foster care and who have been determined to be working at least 80 hours per month. To the extent that the bill would increase CalFresh eligibility for certain populations and expand county duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of federal, state, and county funds, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Under existing law, in addition to specified CalWORKs aid amounts, a family is entitled to receive an allowance for recurring special needs relating to, among other things, food, utilities, and transportation. Under existing law, the allowance for each family per month is prohibited from exceeding that amount resulting from multiplying the sum of $10 by the number of recipients in the family who are eligible for assistance. This bill would increase the maximum threshold for the allowance by switching the factor from $10 to $15 within the formula. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of the bill. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Assembly Passage

Aug 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Aug 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/30/26 - Enrolled → AB2765 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions. The diff reflects a transition from the formal enrolled legislative document (with signatures, page numbers, and official formatting) to a web-based rendering of the same bill text on the California legislature website. All legislative content, including the digest, findings, and statutory amendments, is identical.

TECHNICAL

The document changed from an official enrolled format (with Chief Clerk signature, Senate Secretary line, Governor receipt date, page numbers, and CHAPTER heading) to a web page rendering that includes navigation elements such as skip-to-content links, quick search, bill information tabs, and version history. The underlying legislative text is unchanged.

08/13/26 - Amended Senate → 08/21/26 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Aug 21, 2026

MODERATE

The August 21 Senate amendment to AB 2765 removes the foster youth federal waiver requirement and the separate recurring special needs allowance for adults discontinued from CalFresh due to the new ABAWD time limit, while adding broader legislative intent language about maximizing retention of eligible recipients and expanding data reporting to all 58 counties with a 4-week pre-publication review period. The bill also corrects an error changing '80 hours per week' to '80 hours per month' for extended foster care participants and softens several findings from accusatory language to more measured terms.

SCOPE

Removed the requirement for the state department to seek a federal waiver to exempt foster youth and former foster youth from SNAP benefit cuts under Public Law 119-21, along with the requirement to issue an all-county letter within 3 months of waiver approval.

Added legislative intent statements directing that all state and county exemptions under Public Law 119-21 remain in effect until at least the next scheduled redetermination, and that no recipient be discontinued before October 1, 2026 or until specified administrative activities are complete.

Softened language in legislative findings: 'refuses to comply with the deception' was revised, 'accurately account for the harm caused' became 'help prevent undue harm,' and 'reduce the number of children harmed by this cruel new federal policy' became 'mitigate the harm to children and foster youth affected by this cruel new federal policy.'

FISCAL

Removed the provision creating a separate recurring special needs allowance for adults in CalFresh or CalWORKs households with a child aged 14-17 who are discontinued due to the new 3-month SNAP time limit. The allowance was to be set by the department at an amount adequate to prevent hunger and provided until at least October 1, 2027.

ENFORCEMENT

Expanded data reporting requirements to include all 58 county welfare departments in addition to legislative committees, with a minimum 4-week county review period before public reporting for the first two reports to ensure accuracy.

TECHNICAL

Corrected the work threshold for blanket compliance of extended foster care participants from '80 hours per week' to '80 hours per month.'

DEFINITION

Changed the bill's operative scope from amending Sections 11450, 18926, and 18926.1 to amending only Sections 11450 and 18926, removing the amendment to Section 18926.1.

04/13/26 - Amended Assembly → 06/11/26 - Amended Senate · 9 edits · Jun 11, 2026

MAJOR

The Senate amendment to AB 2765 substantially expands the bill's scope and adds multiple new protective provisions in response to federal SNAP cuts under Public Law 119-21. Most significantly, it creates a new recurring special needs allowance for adults in households with children aged 14-17 who lose CalFresh benefits due to the new federal three-month time limit, requires blanket exemptions and harm mitigation measures, sets a hard floor of October 1, 2026 before any discontinuances can occur, and declares the bill an urgency statute to take effect immediately.

Scope change

The bill's scope expands significantly beyond its original focus on foster youth protections. It now covers all households with children aged 14-17 that lose CalFresh benefits due to the new federal time limit, creates a state-funded safety net (special needs allowance) for affected adults, mandates harm mitigation across all counties, and adds a universal implementation framework with data reporting and working group requirements.

FISCAL

Creates a new recurring special needs allowance for an adult in a CalFresh or CalWORKs household that includes a child aged 14-17 who is discontinued due to the federal three-month SNAP time limit. The amount is set by the department as adequate to prevent hunger from the loss of federal SNAP benefits. Must be provided until at least October 1, 2027 and continues until appropriated funding in the Budget Act of 2026 is exhausted.

TIMELINE

No recipient may be discontinued from CalFresh due to ABAWD work requirements under Public Law 119-21 before October 1, 2026, or until specified administrative activities are complete, whichever is later. This provides a hard deadline floor protecting recipients from immediate benefit loss.

REQUIREMENT

Requires the state and counties to implement SNAP-related provisions under Public Law 119-21 using harm mitigation strategies and minimization of client impacts and discontinuances whenever possible.

Requires the department to convene a working group to consider additional blanket exemptions for youth who currently have or previously had an open child welfare or probation case, and to report on costs of any additional data needed for automation.

ELIGIBILITY

Requires the department to adopt, instruct counties on, and automate blanket exemptions to CalFresh work requirements for specified populations eligible for the program. Exemptions remain in effect until at least the next scheduled redetermination for that recipient.

Requires the department to adopt blanket compliance with CalFresh work requirements for individuals participating in extended foster care who have been determined to be working at least 80 hours per week.

ENFORCEMENT

Requires the department to provide data to appropriate legislative committees on the total number of CalFresh recipients subject to, exempted from, or discontinued from the program due to work requirements under Public Law 119-21.

SCOPE

The bill now adds a new Section 18900.96 to the Welfare and Institutions Code in addition to amending existing sections, expanding the statutory framework for implementing these protections.

TECHNICAL

Declares the bill an urgency statute to take effect immediately, changing the vote requirement from majority to two-thirds majority. Also adds Assembly Member Bennett as a coauthor and clarifies the federal law citation to specifically reference Public Law 119-21.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 26, 2026 · Assembly May 27, 2026

How they voted

34–0

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 40

Aug 26, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

4 Yea 6

40% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 26, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (34-0-6)

senate

Aug 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Urgency clause adopted. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 9.).

lower

Aug 26, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 0.).

upper

Aug 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (August 13).

upper

Jun 29, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jun 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 3. Noes 0.) (June 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 11, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HUMAN S.

upper

Jun 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HUMAN S.

upper

May 27, 2026

Assembly · Passed

Assembly Vote: pass (60-11-8)

assembly

May 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 11.)

lower

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 14).

lower

May 6, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Feb 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

lower

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors