The House Agriculture Committee could mark up the Farm Bill as early as April 18th. While we do not have the exact details of the bill's proposed changes to SNAP/CalFresh, we have heard from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Conaway and  media that the bill will include two major harmful proposals which would increase hunger and hardship for working families and adults in-between jobs.  The Conaway bill will:

• Expand the counterproductive and punitive SNAP/CalFresh three-month time limit for SNAP recipients without children who are between the ages of 18 and 49, and are between jobs or working less than half time. The bill would extend the time limit to many more households struggling to make ends meet, including parents with children over the age of 11 and adults between the ages of 50 and 64. (See below for an urgent call to action to prevent the Trump Administration from making the time-limit harsher).

• Eliminate the state option known as "categorical eligibility." California uses this policy to protect low-wage working families from having their CalFresh benefits cut off when they work a few more hours and earn just a little more take home pay -- even when most of those household earnings must go toward California's sky-high housing, child care, and transportation costs. Removing the option would also make it harder for CalFresh recipients to accrue modest savings or own a reliable car to get to work, get back on their feet, and climb the economic ladder.  The change would also sever the connection to free school meals for thousands of California children.  

Next week will be  a pivotal time to demonstrate to members of Congress that there is strong opposition building to Chairman Conaway's proposed cuts and changes to SNAP.  You can s tay up to date on the Farm Bill and CalFresh by signing up for  Federal Advocacy email alerts  and by v isiting  CFPA's Federal advocacy page  and accessing  CFPA's Farm Bill and CalFresh Talking Points .