February 16, 2024 - This post provides background and caseload trend updates for the state’s major food assistance programs--CalFresh and the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)--and analyzes the Governor’s proposed food assistance budget, which includes no major new proposals.
February 11, 2022 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to provide food assistance to currently ineligible immigrants aged 55 and older. First, we provide some essential background on California’s food assistance programs, then we describe the Governor’s proposed expansion, and finally provide an analysis of the proposal as well as issues for legislative consideration.
March 11, 2014 - Presented to Senate Human Services Committee and Assembly Human Services Committee
February 22, 2023 - In this post, we provide some basic background on the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program followed by an overview and assessment of the Governor’s CalWORKs budget proposals.
March 4, 2024 - In this brief, we provide background on the CalWORKs program followed by an overview and assessment of the Governor’s California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) budget proposals, which include a number of budget solutions. In addition, the brief provides issues for consideration to help the Legislature evaluate the administration’s proposals in the current year, budget year, and beyond.
October 30, 2014 - The integration of eligibility and enrollment processes of health and human services (HHS) programs has long been an important issue for the state. In this report, we focus on the integration of three key HHS programs: the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal), CalFresh, and the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program. We also raise several issues for legislative consideration, including (1) determining the appropriate balance between local control and standardized statewide processes, (2) considering whether automation systems currently under development could be leveraged to strengthen integration, and (3) considering whether additional programs should be integrated.
September 29, 2023 - The Supplemental Report of the 2023-24 Budget Act contains statements of legislative intent and requests for studies that were adopted by the Legislature during deliberations on the 2023-24 budget package.
February 19, 2003 - We identify factors to weigh in considering which programs would benefit from realignment. Using these factors, we identify $9.1 billion in programs meriting consideration: $5.1 billion of programs proposed by the administration and $4 billion of programs suggested by our office. Because realignment plans are difficult to modify over time, we recommend the Legislature take a long-term view in enacting program and funding changes.
March 25, 2020 - This post describes key actions taken to increase Californians' access to food in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We focus on key actions taken by the state and federal government through April 10, 2020.
January 8, 2018 - The Supplemental Report of the 2017-18 Budget Act directed our office to report on the programmatic and fiscal implications of ending a long-standing state policy that provides Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) recipients an extra $10 payment in lieu of their being eligible to receive federal food benefits through California’s CalFresh program. This is known as the SSI cash-out (or the CalFresh cash-out). In this report, we (1) describe how ending the SSI cash-out would affect households differently, (2) discuss the estimated statewide net effect of ending the SSI cash-out on federal food benefits drawn down by the state and how any variation in the underlying assumptions can create significantly different estimates, (3) provide examples of how ending the SSI cash-out would affect the poverty status of certain households, and (4) as directed by the Supplemental Report, discuss potential options the Legislature could consider to hold households negatively affected by the elimination of the SSI cash-out harmless and present additional issues that merit legislative consideration.