Assembly Member Santiago Responds to May Revise and Urges Support for Food 4 ALL Act

(Sacramento, CA) – Today, Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) held a press conference responding to the missing full investment for Food4All in the May Revise and called for support for AB 311, the Food 4 ALL Act. He was joined by a representative of principal co-author StateSenator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and advocacy organizations including Nourish CA. AB 311 expands access to the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to all income eligible Californians of all ages regardless of immigration status.

“While we are pleased to see $40 million allocated for outreach efforts and CFAP access for undocumented Californians 55+, people of all ages are hungry today,” said Assembly Member Santiago. “In the fourth largest economy in the world, we have the resources to end hunger. It is time to fully invest in Food4All and in our immigrant communities to make sure no one goes hungry, regardless of their immigration status.”

Senator Hurtado (D- Bakersfield) said, “I look forward to working with the Governor and the Assembly to ensure the final draft of this year’s budget includes funding to address food insecurity, which is having a disproportionate impact on the many farmworkers and their families who grow our nation’s food. Californian should go hungry or carry the burden of worrying about their next meal, and it’s why I will continue to champion Food4All until everyone across our state, regardless of age or immigration status, can access the nutritious food they need."

“No one should experience hunger because of their immigration status, yet hundreds of thousands of Californians struggling to put food on the table remain unjustly excluded from food assistance programs,” said Betzabel Estudillo, Director of Engagement at Nourish California. “We must stop turning people away who critically need food assistance simply because of their immigration status. When every Californian has access to the food they need, our communities and economies thrive.”

Assembly Member Miguel Santiago secured $35 million in the 2022-23 State Budget to expand CFAP access to low income Californians ages 55 and older, regardless of their immigration status. Unfortunately, this excludes undocumented immigrants ages 54 and younger. The goal of AB 311 is to expand CFAP access to Californians of all ages, regardless of immigration status. AB 311 is currently on the suspense file in Assembly Appropriations.

Assembly Member Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization. He also sits on the Assembly Committees on Public Safety, Health, HigherEducation and Utilities and Energy. He represents the 54th District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Commerce, Montebello, and Vernon.

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