CalFresh: student eligibility.

Senator Ashby’s proposal redefines CalFresh student eligibility by establishing a data-sharing framework among the California Department of Social Services, the California Student Aid Commission, and the public higher education systems to identify CalFresh-eligible students and connect them with on- and off-campus basic-needs services, including direct CalFresh outreach. It replaces the existing campus-based program approval pathway with a unified framework that treats public institutions’ campus-based programs as state-approved local educational programs that meet federal exemptions for CalFresh eligibility, with implementation driven through guidance rather than formal regulations.

The bill creates a bilateral data-sharing arrangement anchored in a new welfare and institutions code section that authorizes the commission to modify its Grant Delivery System to identify students likely eligible for CalFresh and to obtain separate, distinct opt-in consent for sharing their contact information with the department and, through the department, with county human services agencies and the campuses where the students are enrolled. The shared contact information is expressly limited to legal name, email address, ZIP code or county of residence, and telephone number, and may be used solely to identify, support, and link students to basic-needs services and CalFresh outreach in accordance with specified Education Code provisions. The framework requires a data-sharing agreement between the department and CSAC and authorizes limited sharing to county and systemwide campus offices, with privacy protections under FERPA and California Civil Code.

In parallel, the bill repeals the prior campus-program approval structure and establishes a new process in which public colleges and universities submit lists of campus-based programs to the department, which then approves those that meet the federally aligned criteria, while other programs may seek certification under the new framework. It requires ongoing reporting from the department beginning in 2026 and through 2030 on the number of state-approved programs, pending applications, and denials, with the results posted publicly on the department’s website. It also directs non-regulatory implementation through all-county letters and a guidance letter due by mid-2026, avoiding formal regulatory adoption.

Implementation timing and fiscal considerations anchor the policy in a multi-year transition: by July 1, 2026, qualifying campus-based programs are recognized under the new framework; initial reporting is due by September 1, 2026, with follow-up annual reporting through 2030. Beginning in 2027–28, and only where data sharing has occurred and students have opted in, campuses will contact eligible students for CalFresh outreach. The act contemplates potential state-mandated local costs and provides a reimbursement mechanism through the state-mandated local program framework, though it does not specify new appropriations. The UC system is described as “requested” to participate in lists and outreach, while CCC and CSU bear primary certification responsibilities, and counties assume outreach duties under the data-sharing agreement.