Assembly BillIntroducedWelfare and Institutions
AB 2171: Nutrition benefits: sweetened drinks and candy.
What AB 2171 does, verified April 24, 2026
The bill aims to prohibit the purchase of sweetened drinks and candy with California's public social services, including CalFresh and the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). It would require the state Department of Social Services to restrict these items from being purchased with these benefits. The department would need to request federal permission to implement this change and delay implementation until permission is granted. This restriction would apply to both CalFresh and CFAP recipients, to the extent permissible under federal law.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: In committee: Hearing for testimony only. (2026-04-23)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions6 total · showing 5
| Apr. 23, 2026 | In committee: Hearing for testimony only. |
| Apr. 13, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S. |
| Apr. 09, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar. 09, 2026 | Referred to Com. on HUM. S. |
| Feb. 19, 2026 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 21. |
Latest bill textAmended version, April 9, 2026 · 667 words
| Amended IN Assembly April 09, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2171
| Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson |
February 18, 2026 |
An act to add Sections 18919.5 and 18930.2 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2171, as amended, Patterson. Nutrition benefits: sweetened drinks and candy.
Existing federal law provides for the federal 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 law requires the State Department of Social Services (department) to maximize all available food choices for CalFresh recipients, as specified.
This bill, notwithstanding the requirement to maximize food choices, would require the department to prohibit CalFresh recipients from using CalFresh benefits to purchase sweetened drinks or candy, as defined. defined, except at restaurants. If the department determines that federal permission, as specified, is necessary, the bill would require the department to request federal permission and authorize the department to delay implementation until federal permission is granted.
Existing law requires the department to establish a food assistance program, known as the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), to provide assistance to specified noncitizens of the United States who meet certain criteria. Existing law, to become operative on the date that the department notifies the Legislature that the Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) has been updated to perform the necessary automation, and to the extent permissible under federal law, among other things, requires the delivery of CFAP nutrition benefits to be identical to the delivery of CalFresh benefits to eligible CalFresh households.
When the department prohibits CalFresh recipients from using CalFresh benefits to purchase sweetened drinks or candy as described above and to the extent permissible under federal law, this bill would also require the department to prohibit the purchase of those products with CFAP benefits.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 18919.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18919.5.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 18919.1, the State Department of Social Services shall prohibit CalFresh recipients from using CalFresh benefits to purchase sweetened drinks or(b) Notwithstanding Section 18919.1, if the State Department of Social Services determines that a waiver or authorization from the United States Department of Agriculture is necessary for implementation of this section, the State Department of Social Services shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing this section until the waiver or authorization is granted.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Candy” is limited to candy that is ordinarily packaged and sold for consumption without further preparation.
(2) “Restaurant” includes, but is not limited to, an on-campus qualifying food facility, as defined in Section 66025.93 of the Education Code, an eat-in establishment, a grocery store delicatessen, and a takeaway-only restaurant. “Restaurant” does not include a restaurant specifically excluded, by federal law or guidance or state law or guidance, from participation in a program associated with CalFresh or the food assistance program described in Section 18930.
(2)
(3)
“Sweetened drink” means a nonalcoholic beverage made with water that contains five grams or more of added sugar or any amount of artificial sweeteners. “Sweetened drink” does not include a beverage that contains any of the following:(A) Milk or milk products.
(B) Soy, rice, or similar milk substitutes.
(C) More than 50 percent of vegetable or fruit juice by volume.
SEC. 2.
Section 18930.2 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:18930.2.
When the State Department of Social Services prohibits CalFresh recipients from using CalFresh benefits to purchase sweetened drinks or candy pursuant to Section 18919.5 and to the extent permissible under federal law, the department shall also prohibit the purchase of sweetened drinks orText of AB 2171 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions