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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California SB 18

Food Desert Elimination Grant Program.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Cosponsors (4)

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing law creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities, as prescribed, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state. Existing law requires the office, among other things, to identify distribution barriers that affect limited food access and work to overcome those barriers through various actions and to coordinate with school districts and representatives to increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools. This bill would create the Food Desert Elimination Grant Program under the administration of the department for the purpose of expanding access to healthy foods in food deserts, as defined, in the state, and areas at risk of becoming food deserts, by providing grants to grocery store operators, as specified. The bill would create the Food Desert Elimination Fund in the General Fund and would authorize the fund to be expended by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the program. The bill would authorize the department to collect nonstate, federal, and private funds, require those funds to be deposited into the California Equitable Food Access Account within the Food Desert Elimination Fund, and continuously appropriate moneys in the account to the department for purposes of the program. The bill would authorize the department to award grants for specified purposes to grocery store operators seeking to locate grocery stores in food deserts or to existing grocery stores located in food deserts. The bill would authorize the department to adopt guidelines to implement these provisions. The bill would make the implementation of all of its provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would repeal its provisions on December 31, 2030.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Jul 2, 2025
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
May 29, 2025
Senate		Special Consent SB18 Rubio et al.passSet your home in California to see
May 23, 2025
Senate		Do passpassSet your home in California to see
May 19, 2025
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Apr 29, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see

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