(a) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department shall issue an annual all-county letter providing guidance that lists which counties or regions are eligible to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) because they meet the requirements established in Section 4014 of the federal Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79). The department’s all-county letter shall include instructions for how a county may choose to participate in RMP or appeal a noneligible determination by the department.
(b) The department shall design the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system established pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10065) of Part 1 to, automatically and upon issuance of an EBT card, allow all CalFresh recipients who are eligible for RMP to utilize their benefits in all restaurants that have been approved to participate in RMP.
(c) Except for direct farm purchasing programs or where otherwise not required at a certified farmer’s market, a restaurant shall not operate as a vendor in the program unless the restaurant permits customers to make in-store purchases, maintains a current public health license, and complies with all federal, state, and local health and safety laws, regulations, and ordinances. For the purpose of this section, “in-store purchase” means any purchase that is not delivered to the purchaser.
(d) To the extent permitted by federal law, nothing shall preclude a county that elects to participate in RMP from determining the number, type, and location of restaurants the county may choose to include as vendors to align with county administrative capacity or other factors, including, but not limited to, location of participating restaurants and recipient demand.
(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 355, Sec. 4. (SB 282) Effective January 1, 2018.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018