CFFN members, representing the diversity of food & farming issues facing the state from hunger and nutrition to farmer livelihood and food chain worker protections, collectively identify policies important for the state’s food and farming system. Seven value-aligned pieces of legislation were then chosen by our grassroots leaders’ Steering Council as priority legislation that build people power to move us toward a thriving, equitable food system across four pillars: agroecological farming, healthy food access, farmworker & food chain worker advancement, and regional food ecosystems.
We ask Legislators to consider these pieces of legislation to ensure California’s policies contribute to the creation of an inclusive, equitable, and ecologically regenerative food and farming system that has recognized and repaired injustices to Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) workers, producers and communities, and which generates healthy, affordable, accessible, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and other agricultural products.
2026 Priority Food + Farm Legislation
Priority Bills in Support
Healthy Food Access
AB 1049 (Rodriguez)– California Food Assistance Program – Sponsor Deeming Removes sponsor deeming from the eligibility determination process for the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), streamlining enrollment into food benefits and reducing the chilling effect for sponsored immigrants as part of the Food4All campaign. (Co-Sponsors: Nourish CA and CA Immigrant Policy Center)
AB 2299 (Calderon)– California Anti-Hunger Response & Employment/Training (CARET) Act Will provide state-funded benefits for the ~665,000 Californians at risk of being cut off of CalFresh in 2026-27 due to the discriminatory federal work requirement time limit rules (Co-Sponsors: California Association of Food Banks, Grace/End Child Poverty California, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Public Interest Law Project, and Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organization)
Regional Food Ecosystems
AB 1857 (Aguiar-Curry)– Grocery Store Access Act | Fact sheet Prohibits restrictive covenants that limit grocery and supermarket use in order to expand food access, reduce food deserts, and improve food affordability and health outcomes. (Co-sponsors: CFFN steward by our Regional Food Ecosystem Working Groupand Economic Security California Action)
Agroecological Farming
AB 1731 (Wilson)– Healthy Food Procurement Fund Program Directs the Office of Farm to Fork to establish an approved vendor program and procurement fund by 2028 to expand K–12 schools’ access to whole or minimally processed, California-grown foods produced using climate-smart agriculture practices. (Co-sponsors: California Certified Organic Farmers and Fullwell)
Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA), Farms Together, Budget Priority (Assm. Pellerin, Sen. Hurtado) A values-based procurement program that invests in and connects small farmers and food hubs with local food banks. Seeking $45 million in General Funds for CDFA to sustain a previously $100 million federally-funded program threatening to collapse small farm businesses (Co-sponsors: California Association of Food Banks, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and Fresh Approach)
Land Access for Socially Disadvantaged and Beginning Farmers Program (Assm Wilson) A re-attempt via the budget process of last year’s CFFN priority: AB 524 (Wilson) – Farmland Access and Conservation for Thriving Communities Act). Seeking statutory language to guide Proposition 4 Climate Bond Investments that will provide financial or technical resources to support farmers with land tenure through a new program at the Dept of Conservation; requesting $15 million from Prop 4 (Sponsor: Community Alliance with Family Farmers as a steward of the Land Equity Collective)
Farmworker Advancement
AB 2227 (Connolly)– Farm Labor Contractors Makes more money available to farmworkers who have suffered wage theft by ensuring workers can access funds through the surety bond farm labor contractors are required to purchase to be licensed with the CA Labor Commissioner’s Office. Sponsor: California Farmworker Coalition
Support for Additional Food and Farming Bills
SB 881 (McNerney) – Farm to Food Bank Tax Credit and Emergency Food for Families Fund Extension
AB 1734 (Stefani) – Count Hunger Act
AB 2564 (Ward) – Surveillance pricing
AB 2100 (Connolly) – Alternative Manure Management Program Task Force and Permit Efficiency
AB 52 (Aguiar-Curry) – Farmer equity: advisory committees
