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AB-922 Prepared Meals Delivery Program.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 09/05/2024 02:00 PM
AB922:v97#DOCUMENT

Enrolled  September 05, 2024
Passed  IN  Senate  August 31, 2024
Passed  IN  Assembly  January 30, 2024
Amended  IN  Assembly  January 22, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 922

Introduced by Assembly Member Wicks

February 14, 2023

An act to add Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 18320) to Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to nutrition assistance.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 922, Wicks. Prepared Meals Delivery Program.
Existing law establishes various nutrition and housing assistance programs within the jurisdiction of the State Department of Social Services, including, among others, the CalFresh program, the State Emergency Food Assistance Program (CalFood), the Bringing Families Home Program, and the CalWORKs Housing Support Program.
This bill would, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, require the department to establish the Prepared Meals Delivery Program for the purpose of providing meals to unhoused individuals. The bill would require the County of Alameda to participate in the program and to select a community-based organization as a grantee of funding for the program based on a bidding process, as specified.
The bill would require the delivery of food directly to unhoused encampments, as specified. The bill would require the grantee to provide to recipients information on enrollment within the CalFresh program as part of the grantee’s meal delivery services.
The bill would require the County of Alameda to submit periodic reports of performance data to the department during the course of implementing the program, as specified. The bill would require the department, no later than June 1, 2026, to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the program.
By creating new duties for the County of Alameda, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Alameda.
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.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

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


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature for this act to establish a meal delivery program to provide meals to unhoused individuals in order to contribute to lasting food security and a path to stable, permanent housing for unhoused individuals.
(b) Unlike other public-private partnerships that require federal registration, meals provided through meal delivery programs require less burden on small businesses that are not otherwise involved or familiar with the provision of social services.
(c) Meal delivery programs also deliver to offsite locations where food assistance is needed most, removing the daily barrier of long travel between encampments and retail centers that are less tolerant of temporary shelters.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 18320) is added to Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  5.6. Prepared Meals Delivery Program

18320.
 (a) Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, the State Department of Social Services shall establish the Prepared Meals Delivery Program for the purpose of providing meals to unhoused individuals.
(b) The County of Alameda shall participate in the program and shall select a community-based organization as a grantee of funding for the program based on a bidding process in accordance with applicable laws. The successful bidder shall demonstrate that it has a track record of successfully providing meal services for the unhoused community, and that it has known relationships with identified partners that will be providing the services.
(c) With an average cost that shall be discounted from retail cost, the food shall be delivered directly to unhoused encampments as identified by the community-based organization grantee, through a restaurant-based accessible prepared meal model. The grantee shall provide to recipients information on enrollment within the CalFresh program as part of the grantee’s meal delivery services.
(d) (1) The County of Alameda shall submit periodic reports of performance data to the department during the course of implementing the program, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(A) The number of individuals served.
(B) The ZIP Code of the location where individuals are served.
(C) The average cost to serve each individual.
(D) An accounting of how funds were spent, including the percentage of funds that went to administration and operation.
(E) Information gathered from individuals served regarding needed services.
(2) No later than June 1, 2026, the department shall submit a report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, evaluating the effectiveness of the program. This paragraph shall become inoperative on June 1, 2030.

SEC. 3.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances of the County of Alameda with regard to its readiness to participate in the Prepared Meals Delivery Program based on the county’s available infrastructure and services.

SEC. 4.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.