(a) (1) It is hereby declared to be the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food.

(2) Food insecurity is defined as the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs to live a healthy life and the uncertainty of being able to acquire enough food to meet the needs of an individual or household due to insufficient money or other resources.

Terms Used In California Welfare and Institutions Code 18700

  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.

(b) All relevant state agencies, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Social Services, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Education, and the State Department of Public Health, shall consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient affordable food.

(c) This section does not expand any obligation of the state to provide food or nutrition assistance or to require the expenditure of additional resources to develop food infrastructure.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 879, Sec. 2. (SB 628) Effective January 1, 2024.)

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