Sacramento - Governor Schwarzenegger signed The Food for Schoolchildren Act, authored by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), requiring the state Department of Education develop a computerized data matching system that will automatically enroll into free school meal programs an estimated 53,000 schoolchildren receiving food stamp assistance.

“With the Governor’s signature, tens of thousands of California school kids get automated access to needed school meal programs,” said Assemblymember Laird. “In an era of significant school underfunding, it’s a considerable win that we’ve found a way to connect kids with the food they need while also bringing efficiency to the enrollment system.”

Specifically, the bill (AB 1385) requires the California Department of Education to develop a computerized data matching system using existing databases from the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services to automatically enroll schoolchildren receiving food stamp assistance into free school meal programs without any additional application. Similar systems have been implemented in other states and have dramatically increased the number of eligible schoolchildren enrolled in these programs. This bill, sponsored by the California Food Policy Advocates, will not only help California meet new federal requirements regarding application procedures, but will also provide a better system to verify family income so these children remain enrolled in free school meals.