USDA Proposed Rule Will Reinforce Structural Racism
Extending SNAP time limits ignores root causes of unemployment
The federal proposal to limit SNAP/CalFresh for unemployed and underemployed Americans will have an outsized negative impact on people of color, reinforcing the structural racism that drives disparities in access to food and economic opportunity. The USDA's proposed rule would remove much of the flexibility states have to waive time limits in certain areas with a lack of sufficient jobs. Instead, the proposal would require that the unemployment rate be the sole measure of an area's waiver eligibility. But what unemployment rates don't capture is America's history of systemic racism that today continues to hinder the wealth-building potential of Black Americans and other racial minorities.
In Spring 2018, California's overall unemployment rate sat at 4.2 percent. However, when broken down by race, we see the Black unemployment rate was more than twice that of White Californians and 1.6 times higher for Hispanics. These disparities are the result of America's long history of discriminatory practices, such as redlining and racism in the criminal justice system, which have consistently denied Black Americans and other racial minorities opportunities to realize the American dream.
No one should be punished for the persistence of societal barriers that make it harder to secure stable employment and a living wage. People who are income-eligible to receive SNAP/CalFresh but have their hours cut below 20 hrs/week don't need additional barriers to economic stability--they need racial equity and economic inclusion.
Act now to stop this harmful regulation!
Here's how you can help stop this proposal from becoming law:
Submit a comment in opposition to the rule. Download customizable template comments here. Submit your comments
Encourage 2 others to comment. After adding your comment on the rule, encourage at least two people in your network to do the same. Every comment matters!
Confirms persistent gap in access to nutritious meals.
When school is out, many families lose access to a critical source of nutritious, affordable meals for their children. The loss of school meals, especially for children living in poverty, can increase the risk of hunger and food insecurity. The federal summer meal programs exist to nourish children during breaks from school. This analysis examines how well those programs meet the needs of children across California.
Read more and access state and local data tables. Factsheet PDF
New Year, New Guarantee for Charter School Students
AB 1871 has become law!
Starting in the 2019-20 school year, all low-income students in grades K-12 will finally have guaranteed access to free and reduced-price meals, no matter which public school they attend.
What can students, families, and schools expect with this new law?
Check out our
New Law Factsheet and get links to additional information.
This year's Forum will feature a special focus on the upcoming expansion of CalFresh eligibility to SSI recipients and opportunities for administrators and stakeholders to work together to ensure a smooth and successful rollout in summer 2019.
