Several bills related to food and farming are currently making their way through California’s legislative session. At the Berkeley Food Institute (BFI), we track these policy developments closely. BFI’s policy program leverages UC research to inform policymaking in Sacramento. BFI’s recent policy engagement has spanned the topics of ultra processed foods, competition in the grocery industry, and farm to school programs. While we don’t take positions on bills, below are some of the bills we are following. All of these bills are policy priorities identified by the California Food and Farming Network (CFFN), a statewide coalition of food and farming organizations working to advance racial equity, health, and sustainability in CA food and agriculture. 

Fair and Competitive Markets

AB 1857 (Aguiar-Curry) Unlawfully restrictive covenants: grocery stores and supermarkets: Introduced this year by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry (D-Davis), AB 1857 would make it unlawful for large grocery chains to impose restrictive covenants on property deeds that prohibit the future development of a grocery store on land abandoned by the chain. Such practices impact food access and disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. The bill is awaiting a vote on the Assembly floor after passing out of the Assembly Judiciary and Appropriations committees. 

Status: AB 1857 has cleared the Assembly floor (72 ayes, 0 nos) and heads to the Senate.

BFI Policy Program: BFI Policy Assistant Madison Spinelli recently wrote a blog piece on how restrictive covenants work as a structural barrier to food access.

School Foods

AB 1731 (Wilson) – California Healthy Food Procurement Fund: This bill directs the CA Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm to Fork to establish an approved vendor list and a dedicated procurement fund by January 2028, making it easier for K-12 schools to purchase whole or minimally processed, California-grown foods from local farmers and food hubs using climate-smart agriculture practices. 

Status: AB 1731 has passed the Assembly Appropriations committee and heads to the Assembly floor

Governor’s Proposed Budget and May Revision for FY 2026-27 includes $25.2 million for the Farm to School Grant Program and $100 million for Kitchen Infrastructure and Training. The budget also proposes $1.87 billion to fully fund School Meals for All, California’s universal school meals program.

BFI Policy Program: As an evaluator on the CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, BFI has translated program evaluation findings into actionable policy recommendations. With a new governor expected next year, BFI is working with the evaluation team to develop final policy recommendations for the incoming gubernatorial administration on the future of school meals.

Earlier this year, BFI also convened an expert panel for a talk called, “Changing the Menu: California’s Historic Break Up with Ultra-Processed Food Starts in Schools.” The discussion highlighted structural challenges that schools may face when phasing out ultra processed foods, such as lack of kitchen infrastructure for scratch cooking.

Farmworker Protections

AB 2227 (Connolly) – Farm Labor Contractor Bond Increase: This bill would increase bond amounts for farm labor contractors and extend the same level of protection already afforded to H-2A guest workers to farmworkers hired domestically. 

Status: AB 2227 has passed Assembly Appropriations and heads to the Assembly floor.

BFI Policy Program:  A recent BFI webinar titled Working During Wildfires highlighted the health and economic pressures on farmworkers who continue working in wildfire evacuation zones, and discussed policy recommendations for local and state governments to better protect agricultural workers during wildfires.

SNAP/CalFresh – Protecting Access and Debating Restrictions

AB 2299 (Calderon): California Antihunger Response and Employment Training Act – The bill would create a state-funded food benefits program for the ~660,000 Californians at risk of being cut off from CalFresh due to the new federal work-requirement time limits, while connecting recipients with employment and training opportunities.

Status: AB 2299 has passed the Assembly Appropriations committee and heads to the Assembly floor.

AB 2171 (Patterson) and SB 1134 (Strickland) would prohibit CalFresh recipients from using their CalFresh benefits to purchase sweetened beverages, candy, prepackaged desserts, and other ultra processed foods of concern. Twenty-two states have already received federal waivers to restrict certain items.

Status: Both AB 2171 (Patterson) and SB 1134 (Strickland) failed to pass.

BFI Policy Program: Earlier this year, BFI hosted a webinar on understanding H.R.1’s impact on SNAP and CalFresh in California.