Distributing food isn’t the only way the Food Bank fights hunger. We’re also working on long-term solutions that can address the reasons people struggle with food insecurity in the first place.
One of the ways we can tackle the root causes of hunger is through advocacy. Each year, our Advocacy Team and Community Advocates – including community members who have firsthand experience of hunger – work together to create our Legislative Agenda. This agenda includes the hunger-fighting policies and programs we’re supporting and guides our work at the local, state and federal levels throughout the year.
In today’s uncertain climate, advocacy is more important than ever. We have already seen cuts to some federal funds that help us provide food. But you can hunger fighters like you can help!
Check out the bills and programs we’re advocating for this year, and let your representatives know you support them too.
And don’t forget to sign up for The Brief, our monthly advocacy newsletter, to have the latest advocacy actions and updates delivered straight to your inbox!
Our advocacy priorities for 2025
This year, we’re continuing to focus on three priorities to strengthen our community and support our neighbors in need:
- Maintaining Social Safety Net Programs
- Strengthening Food Systems and Food Banks
- Policy Partnerships for Hunger Solutions
Read on for a selection of the bills and programs we’ll be advocating for and against this year. See the full list of bills and policies in the 2025 Legislative Agenda.
Maintaining Our Social Safety Net
Social safety net programs like CalFresh (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP nationally, formerly known as Food Stamps) play an incredibly important role in alleviating hunger.
Not only do these programs help neighbors access much-needed food, they provide a boost to local economies, reduce healthcare costs by improving access to healthy food, and more. Keeping them robust and funded is one of our top priorities.
State Bills We’re Supporting
- CalFresh Benefit Maintenance AB 1211 (Sharp-Collins)
This bill would ensure that CalFresh benefits do not decrease if the federal government makes reductions to the federal SNAP program. - Stop Child Hunger Act SB 411 (Perez)
This bill would fight child hunger by creating a single statewide SUN Bucks application website and establishing the BOOST Nutrition benefit to provide food support during school breaks and emergencies.
Federal Bills We’re Opposing
- SNAP Nutrition Security Act – S. 2326 Booker (118th)
This bill would restrict choice and dignity for the millions of Californians who rely on CalFresh/SNAP to feed their families. - Healthy SNAP Act of 2025 – H.R. 479 Brechen (119th)
Adopts punitive rules to limit food choice for recipients of CalFresh/SNAP.
Federal Bills We’re Supporting
- Enhance Access to SNAP Act H.R. 3183 Gomez/S. 1488 Gillibrand (118th)
This bill would improve access to CalFresh/SNAP for low-income college students. - Modern WIC Act – H.R. 2424 Fitzpatrick/S. 984 Gillibrand (118th)
This bill allows people to certify for and receive benefits through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by phone or video meeting.
We continue to advocate for strong nutrition funding in the long-delayed 2023 Farm Bill, which is intended to set funding levels for many nutritional and agricultural programs for five years. A framework for the bill released by Congress in 2024 targeted programs like CalFresh/SNAP for deep cuts.
We’re also supporting multiple bills to improve food access for childrens and K-12 students, and ensure their nutritional needs are met at school and during summer and seasonal breaks. Learn more.
Strengthening Food Systems and Food Banks
It may sound surprising, but food banks are an important part of our integrated local food systems. By purchasing food locally, we positively impact our community’s economy, and local farmers, while improving access to healthy food.
State Bills and Programs We’re Supporting
- Funding CalFood Ongoing at $60 Million
The CalFood Program helps food banks purchase, store, and distribute food grown and/or produced in California. This program is facing a cut of nearly 90%. This would be devastating for neighbors in need and California farmers and producers, especially now that a federal program that helped us purchase local food has been cancelled. - Edible Food Recovery Grants AB 337 (Bennett)
This bill would expand a grant program to provide financial assistance for the recovery of edible food.
Federal Bills We’re Supporting
- Farmers Feeding America Act H.R. 6203 Salinas, Panetta/S. 2713 Casey (118th)
This bill would reauthorize and increase funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which helps food banks provide a wide variety of nutritious items to their communities.
Policy Partnerships for Hunger Solutions
We have to work together if we’re going to end hunger. The Food Bank is continuing to build partnerships with other community-based organizations, elected officials and our community members – especially our neighbors with lived experience of hunger – to create and advance solutions that will tackle the root causes of hunger.
