Special Alert:  Governor Signs Food Stamp Application Simplification Bill

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Anti-hunger Action

Governor Removes Red Tape For Working Families - Signs SB 2013.

Background

California Food Policy Advocates sponsored legislation requiring the state Department of Social Services to simplify and shorten the application for food stamps.  On September 24, 2000 Governor Davis signed this legislation, SB 2013, into law. 

Thanks are due to so many people (especially the Governor, see below).  Some folks made calls.  Others wrote letters.   Some folks, like our friends at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, helped by identifying and empowering food stamp recipients to share their experiences with the lengthy application with the legislature.  Other folks connected us with local media so that we were able to assemble an impressive amount of editorial support (see www.cfpa.net).  Research helped, too.  Our friends at America's Second Harvest released an excellent report on the problem of long, confusing applications at just the right time (see www.secondharvest.org).  Special thanks go out to Senator Martha Escutia and the members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee who authored legislation and to their staff, especially Andrea Margolis, who along with lobbyist Kathy Mossburg, helped move the bill along.  It was the actions of all these organizations and individuals that made this improvement in the lives of low-income Californians possible.

We have probably missed saying thanks to some folks - for this we apologize.  One person we don't want to miss saying thank you to is the Governor.  Please take the action below.

Action

Call or write the Governor and say "thanks."  Contact the Governor with your own message or one of the following:

·         "The lengthy food stamp application has been a tremendous barrier between hungry Californians and the food assistance they need.  Thanks for signing SB 2013 and removing this barrier."

·         "Working families have been entangled by the red tape associated with the Food Stamp Program in California for far too long.  Thank you for signing SB 2013 and helping hungry, working families get the food assistance they need."

To contact the Governor:

Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633

graydavis@governor.ca.gov