California lawmakers talk about impacts of H.R. 1 for food aid

By Madeline Shannon
The Center Square

Members of a California Assembly budget subcommittee heard from state officials who are often the first point of contact for residents who rely on state-run food assistance programs.

The federally-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as CalFresh in California, provided food assistance to more than 3.2 million residents of the state in 2025, according to data from the California Department of Social Services. Those who work in positions helping CalFresh recipients are seeing the impact cuts from H.R. 1, the federal budget bill passed in July 2025 and known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The budget cuts are expected to eliminate $187 billion in federal funding for SNAP benefits nationwide through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

“It is often said that a budget is a reflection of our values, and nothing could be truer,” said Assemblymember Corey Jackson, D-Moreno Valley and chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for Human Services.

“The conversations that shape those values begin right here within these walls, within this room, at this historic time for our social safety net,” Jackson said during the committee’s meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol in Sacramento.

CalFresh currently serves more than 5.3 million individuals in 3.1 million households with an average monthly benefit of $333 a month, Troia testified during the hearing.

“The federal changes under H.R. 1 will have very major impacts on these households,” Jennifer Troia, director of the California Department of Social Services, testified. “We estimate $2.3 [billion] to 4.3 billion in annual federal funding reductions, and the governor’s budget assumes that as many as 578,000 people could lose benefits as a result of H.R. 1.”

Troia also testified that CalFresh workers are attempting to offset the worst effects of H.R. 1 by maximizing allowable exemptions, using data to help CalFresh recipients keep their benefits, reducing administrative burdens and connecting people who rely on CalFresh to organizations that can help them satisfy work and activity requirements.

“Even with these efforts, it is critical to acknowledge again that we expect that many Californians may lose access to CalFresh,” Troia testified. “They would face increased food insecurity and greater difficulty meeting basic needs, with corresponding impacts on their health and well-being.”

State officials who testified on Wednesday also acknowledged that many immigrants who reside in California illegally will lose their access to CalFresh, as well as foster youth and veterans, among other CalFresh recipients. Problems with funding that existed before the H.R. 1 cuts also impact the workers who provide services to those who need food assistance, officials said.

“We must acknowledge the historic moment we find ourselves in,” Jackson said during the meeting. “Those who are worried about their services being cut or reduced, we are doing everything that we can to make sure that we keep you stable, that we keep you safe and that you have an opportunity to be on a path to thrive here in the state of California.”