Office of Food Security and Affordability.

Existing law declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including, among others, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. This bill would establish the Office of Food Security and Affordability, an independent public entity not affiliated with another state agency, to be administered by a Director of Food Security and Affordability. The bill would require the director to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the office to collaborate with appropriate state agencies to, among other things, coordinate statewide outreach for food insecurity programs, establish and maintain a 24-hour toll-free hunger hotline, and establish best practices for food banks and emergency food providers, as specified. The bill would create the Food Security and Affordability Fund for the receipt and deposit of moneys from federal, state, local, or private sources, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, would authorize the office to use those moneys to implement and administer these provisions.