CalFresh: data sharing., the official text

An act to amend Section 18901.59 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to CalFresh.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

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 state law authorizes the State Department of Social Services to identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, and measuring the impact of CalFresh, among other purposes. Existing law authorizes public entities, to the extent permitted by federal law, to share data with the department for these purposes.
This bill would remove the authorization for public entities to share data with the department for the above-described purposes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 18901.59 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
18901.59.
(a) The department may identify data-sharing opportunities with other state and local public entities, and any other unit of state government, for the purposes of improving the administration of CalFresh, increasing CalFresh participation, measuring the impact of CalFresh, and increasing access to critical public health and poverty-alleviating services and other services and benefits available to low-income individuals.
(b) The department shall designate an executive-level employee of the department who shall report to the Director of Social Services on the implementation of the provisions of this section and Section 18901.58.