CA AB826

Establishes emergency food assistance program requiring the State Department of Social Services to contract with a Feeding America partner organization or nonprofit to distribute prepaid cards statewide upon legislative appropriation or Governor authorization.

Issues one-time use prepaid cards preloaded with $600 for grocery purchases, distributed in two separate periods at least one month apart to eligible adults.

Eligibility requires self-attestation of eligibility for at least one of three programs: Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI), or immigrant legal services under Section 13303.

Allows the primary contractor to subcontract with local nonprofits including existing EFAP providers, California Association of Food Banks members, and organizations that provided DRAI services.

Allocates 15 percent of total appropriations for administrative expenses including language access and staff training; distributes benefits using the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program formula.