Senate BillPassed first houseGovernment
SB 1025: Office of Food Security and Affordability.
What SB 1025 does, verified August 15, 2026
The bill aims to establish an independent office to address food insecurity in the state. This office, administered by a director appointed by the governor, will collaborate with various state agencies to coordinate outreach for food assistance programs. The office will also establish a 24-hour toll-free hunger hotline and develop best practices for food banks and emergency food providers. Additionally, the bill creates a fund to receive and deposit moneys from federal, state, local, or private sources, which will be used to implement and administer these provisions. The office will operate until January 1, 2037.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
4Second ChamberCurrent
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. (2026-08-13)Alert me
Author and sponsors
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| Aug. 13, 2026 | August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| Aug. 05, 2026 | August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file. |
| Jun. 23, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Jun. 23, 2026 | Coauthors revised. |
| Jun. 17, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.D., G., & H.I. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on E.D., G., & H.I. |
Latest bill textAmended version, June 8, 2026 · 1,291 words
| Amended IN Assembly June 08, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate May 14, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate March 26, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1025
| Introduced by Senator Hurtado |
February 10, 2026 |
An act to add and repeal Title 27 (commencing with Section 101000) of the Government Code, relating to food security.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1025, as amended, Hurtado. Office of Food Security and Affordability.
Existing law declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including, among others, 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.
This bill would establish the Office of Food Security and Affordability, an independent public entity not affiliated with another state agency or department, to be administered by a Director of Food Security and Affordability. The bill would require the director to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the office to collaborate with appropriate state agencies or departments to, among other things, coordinate statewide outreach for food insecurity programs and establish best practices for food banks and emergency food providers, as specified. The bill would create the Food Security and Affordability Fund for the receipt and deposit of moneys from federal, state, local, or private sources, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, would require the office to use those moneys to implement and administer these provisions. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2037.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) Food insecurity affects millions of Californians, including children, seniors, persons with disabilities, college students, and working families, and undermines health, educational attainment, and economic stability.
(2) Multiple state agencies and departments administer food and nutrition assistance programs, including, but not limited to, CalFresh, CalWORKs, the California Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children, school nutrition programs, and emergency food assistance programs.
(3) Despite the availability of these programs, eligible Californians frequently experience barriers to access, including lack of awareness, administrative complexity, fragmented outreach, and inconsistent coordination among state and local entities.
(4) Establishing an independent Office of Food Security and Affordability will improve coordination across programs, increase enrollment, reduce food waste, strengthen emergency response, and promote equitable access to food assistance statewide.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to create an independent office to serve as a central coordinating entity for food security policy, outreach, research, and system alignment.
SEC. 2.
Title 27 (commencing with Section 101000) is added to the Government Code, to read:TITLE 27. Office of Food Security and Affordability
101000.
For purposes of this title, the following definitions apply:(a) “Director” means the Director of Food Security and Affordability.
(b) “Office” means the Office of Food Security and Affordability.
101001.
(a) There is in state government the Office of Food Security and Affordability, an independent public entity not affiliated with another state agency or department.(b) The office shall be independent of any supervision, direction, or control by another state agency or department, or by any officer or employee thereof, in the performance of its duties.
101002.
(a) The administrator and chief executive officer of the office is the Director of Food Security and Affordability.(b) The director shall be a person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office.
(c) The director shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
(d) The director shall devote full time to the duties of the position and shall receive a salary as determined by law.
(e) Any vacancy occurring in the position of director shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. If the director dies, resigns, becomes ineligible to serve for any reason, or is removed from office, the Governor may appoint an acting director who shall serve until the appointment and confirmation of a successor, but in no event longer than six months, and who shall exercise all powers and duties of the director during that period.
101003.
The office shall collaborate with appropriate state agencies or departments to do all of the following:(a) Coordinate statewide outreach for food insecurity programs, including developing new initiatives and outreach campaigns and identifying best practices to increase enrollment in state-administered food assistance programs.
(b) Support grant application processes related to food security for in-state providers and state agencies or departments by monitoring available grant opportunities, recommending grant applications, and assisting with the grant application process.
(c) Coordinate communication with and among food banks and emergency food providers.
(d) Establish best practices for food banks and emergency food providers to reduce food waste and increase the distribution of fresh produce and protein-rich foods.
(e) Cooperate with research organizations and institutions of higher education to monitor ongoing gap analyses identifying geographic or demographic areas underserved by existing food assistance programs.
(f) Work with state and community partners to develop and update a strategic plan to address identified gaps in food assistance coverage.
(g) Oversee Assist with the development and implementation of public-private partnerships to address food insecurity. This subdivision does not preclude agencies from participating in current, planned, or future public-private partnerships independently.
(h) Coordinate outreach about food assistance to address food insecurity during federally declared or state-declared emergencies.
(i) Coordinate Assist institutions of higher education, upon request, with the development and implementation of food insecurity programming and initiatives for institutions of higher education in collaboration with the federal Office of Postsecondary Education. initiatives.
(j) Develop new initiatives, establish outreach campaigns, and identify best practices to reach seniors, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations.
(k) Coordinate outreach efforts for individuals who are newly unemployed and may be eligible for food assistance programs.
101004.
The director shall do all of the following:(a) Administer and organize the work of the office and establish any administrative subdivisions necessary for its efficient operation.
(b) Adopt rules and procedures and prescribe duties for the efficient conduct of the business and administration of the office.
(c) Delegate authority to subordinate officers or employees as deemed necessary.
(d) Appoint and remove staff, subject to applicable civil service laws, and, within available funding, appoint or contract with professional or technical personnel without regard to civil service requirements when necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.
(e) Maintain suitable headquarters and other offices as necessary.
(f) Solicit and accept grants or funds from federal, state, local, or private sources.
(g) Serve as a liaison between the office and relevant state agencies or departments, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Social Services, the State Department of Public Health, the State Department of Education, and the Department of Food and Agriculture.
(h) Perform any other functions necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.
101005.
(a) The Food Security and Affordability Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury for the receipt and deposit of moneys from federal, state, local, or private sources for the purposes of implementing and administering this title.(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the office shall use moneys in the fund to implement and administer this title.
101006.
Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2), the director and any collaborating state agency or department may adopt regulations necessary to implement this title.101007.
This title shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2037, and as of that date is repealed.Text of SB 1025 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions