Sacramento, Calif. (May 28, 2026)—Ahead of the Legislature’s House of Origin deadline, the California State Senate approved Senate Bill 1025, the Food Access and Affordability Act authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield). The measure now moves to the State Assembly for consideration. The bill seeks to improve coordination between California’s food assistance programs, expand outreach to underserved communities and make it easier for families to connect with critical food resources.

SB 1025 would establish the Office of Food Security and Affordability to improve coordination between California’s food assistance programs. The measure also seeks to expand outreach efforts and create a statewide hunger hotline aimed at helping families connect with available resources.

“Across California there are families, students, seniors and working parents, who qualify for food assistance but still find it difficult to access the support that exists,” Senator Hurtado said. “SB 1025 is about making that system easier to navigate for individuals.”

The measure is focused on addressing the gaps that often leave eligible Californians struggling to navigate a fragmented system spread across multiple agencies and programs.

The legislation would also strengthen coordination between agencies, improve enrollment and outreach efforts and support emergency food providers serving vulnerable communities across the state.

“This bill brings agencies together to improve coordination, strengthen outreach and enrollment efforts, support emergency food providers and identify communities that continue to be underserved,” Hurtado added.

Senator Melissa Hurtado is Chair of Senate Budget Subcommittee #4 on State Administration and General Government and currently represents the 16th Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties.

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