California Food Assistance Program: sponsor deeming rules.

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez's proposal to modify California's food assistance framework would separate the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) from federal income assessment rules that currently govern both CFAP and CalFresh, the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The legislation removes federal sponsor deeming requirements from CFAP eligibility determinations, creating distinct administrative processes for the two nutrition programs. Under current law, when determining CFAP eligibility, counties must consider the income and resources of individuals who have signed affidavits of support for applicants. The proposed change would eliminate this requirement specifically for CFAP, while maintaining it for CalFresh in accordance with federal regulations.

This modification creates new administrative responsibilities for counties, which must develop separate eligibility determination procedures for CFAP applications. The bill includes provisions for state reimbursement of costs incurred by local agencies in implementing these changes, subject to review by the Commission on State Mandates. Counties would continue to administer both programs but would apply different income assessment criteria to each.