Senator Wiener’s Legislation to Simplify CalFresh Access for Seniors and People with Disabilities Passes Senate Human Services Committee

SACRAMENTO - Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement regarding his legislation, SB 882, which would make it easier for seniors and those with disabilities to access CalFresh. SB 882 passed the Senate Health Committee with a unanimous bipartisan vote, and will now move on to the Appropriations Committee.

SB 882 would allow eligible Californians to complete or recertify the CalFresh application entirely by phone. It would fully implement the federal government’s Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP), ensuring seniors, those with disabilities, and people with fixed incomes can access food stamps without extraneous paperwork, in-person trips, and eligibility questions. It would also reduce the frequency with which they need to recertify their CalFresh access. 

Right now, CalFresh has an application and recertification process that requires showing up for an in-person appointment, which can be difficult for working parents, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and many others. In order to make CalFresh significantly more accessible for everyone, this bill would additionally ensure that by 2023, all California counties would make it possible for CalFresh applicants to apply and recertify completely over the phone. This change would apply to everyone, not just seniors and those with disabilities. 

This legislation comes at a time of unprecedented food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy. According to the Brookings Institute, “34.5% of households with children under 18 reported that since the pandemic started ‘the food we bought just didn’t last and we didn’t have enough money to get more,’” indicating a serious increase in food insecurity nationwide.

In order to make CalFresh applications easier, the Federal Government has issued a waiver, active until May 31st, to allow anyone applying for CalFresh to do so over the phone. This waiver also simplifies the recertification process, making it easier for applicants to continue receiving CalFresh benefits. SB 882 would permanently codify many of these important changes into law.

Currently, only 19% of eligible older adults are actually served by CalFresh. Additionally, California ranks last in the country in terms of eligible seniors who are actually signed up to access food assistance benefits.

Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) are principal co-authors of the bill, and Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) are co-authors of the bill, demonstrating the bipartisan support for the legislation.

SB 882 is sponsored by AARP, the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, California Food Policy Advocates, and the California Association of Food Banks.

“California’s food insecurity crisis is severe, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how bad things can get during a time when so many are struggling financially,” said Senator Wiener. “We’ve also seen how excessive bureaucracy can get in the way of people accessing crucial, live-saving benefits like CalFresh. Our seniors across the state struggle with the burdensome process of CalFresh applications and recertifications, and we need to do better. SB 882 is common sense: it will make it easier for seniors, working families, individuals with disabilities, and anyone else who needs food assistance to actually access it. I’m grateful that there is a strong bipartisan consensus in support of SB 882, which will help so many people.”