SB 1201 is a targeted, practical step to reduce barriers for veterans and active-duty service members accessing food assistance—helping ensure no one who has served our nation goes hungry.

Our Commitment to the Military Community

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is deeply committed to serving active-duty service members, veterans, and their families.

Through our Military Initiative, we:

• Serve nearly 40,000 active-duty and veteran individuals and their families each month
• Partner with 8 military-focused nonprofit organizations
• Provide consistent access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food
• Support military families facing high costs of living with basic needs, including diapers

California is an expensive place to live and our service members are not immune to the cost of living. We see firsthand the challenges many veterans face—and the importance of strong, accessible safety net programs.

What SB 1201 Would Do

SB 1201 makes targeted improvements to CalFresh to better support veterans by:

• Ensuring all veterans who apply for CalFresh get connected to job training and veterans’ support services
• Exempting certain job search-related expenses from being counted as income, allowing veterans to receive more CalFresh assistance
• Exempting certain veterans from work requirements for CalFresh eligibility, for example if they have dependents, are homeless, or waiting on certain disability claims. 

Why This Matters

Current eligibility rules can unintentionally penalize veterans by counting necessary expenses against them, reducing their access to food assistance when they need it most. Additionally, veterans and transitioning service members can experience gaps in employment during reintegration into civilian life and incur out of pocket expenses related to job searches and career transitions. 

Combining those expenses on top of the high cost of living in the State of California, especially in regions like San Diego,  and making ends meet becomes that much harder. 

SB 1201 helps correct that. By removing unnecessary barriers, SB 1201 would:

• Increase access to CalFresh for veterans in need
• Ensure benefits more accurately reflect financial reality
• Strengthen food security for those who have served our country

No veteran should have to navigate unnecessary hurdles to access basic nutrition. SB 1201 ensures our safety net works as intended—for those who have served.

Take Action: Support SB 1201 to help ensure veterans and active-duty service members can access the nutrition they need to succeed.