(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to clarify educational policies for purposes of improving access for low-income students to the CalFresh program established pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(b) For purposes of Section 273.5(a) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a student shall be determined to be attending at least half-time any semester or term in which the student enrolls in at least one-half of the number of credits needed each semester or term to graduate within four years of enrollment as a first-time freshman, or within two years of enrollment as a transfer student, unless prohibited by federal law.

(c) The commission shall notify, in writing, a recipient of a Cal Grant award whose grant includes any amount of funding that has been derived from the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) block grant or state match in order for the student to verify that the student qualifies for the exemption from the CalFresh program student eligibility rules provided for in Section 273.5(b) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(d) (1) To the extent the commission is permitted by federal law to use information to determine a student’s CalFresh eligibility and possesses the pertinent information, the commission shall notify students of their exemption from the CalFresh program student eligibility rules provided for in Section 273.5(b) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations and their potential eligibility for CalFresh benefits.

(2) The notification provided in paragraph (1) shall be considered the verification of the student’s exemption from the CalFresh program student eligibility rules provided for in Section 273.5(b) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as specified in the notice for purposes of qualifying for the CalFresh program.

(e) The commission shall not be required to provide more than one written notification under this section to a student who is eligible for notification under subdivision (c) or (d).

(f) The commission shall confer with stakeholders on at least an annual basis to implement this section and continuously improve the process of securing CalFresh benefits for eligible students.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 167, Sec. 1. (SB 20) Effective January 1, 2023.)