What Changed
H.R. 1, signed into law on July 4, 2025, made sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as CalFresh in California. The law expanded the age range for work-requirement time limits from adults 18-54 to adults 18-64, extended time limits to parents with children aged 14 and older, tightened the rules for geographic waivers based on economic conditions, and eliminated exemptions that had previously protected veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth.
Under the new rules, adults subject to the time limit can receive CalFresh for only three months in a 36-month period unless they work, volunteer, or participate in approved training for at least 80 hours per month, or qualify for one of the remaining exemptions. California's 36-month clock began January 1, 2026, and runs through December 31, 2028.
The law also changed noncitizen eligibility for CalFresh. Starting April 1, 2026, many lawfully present immigrants, including certain asylum seekers, refugees, and parolees, are no longer eligible. The California Department of Social Services estimates this change will affect up to 72,000 Californians, with an estimated loss of $133 million annually.
The Numbers
The California Budget and Policy Center estimates that 840,000 California adults will become newly subject to the stricter CalFresh time limits. The state Department of Social Services projects that nearly 80 percent of these newly time-limited adults will not qualify for any remaining exemption and are therefore at risk of losing food assistance.
The California Association of Food Banks estimates that approximately 665,000 people will not meet the work requirement or qualify for an exemption, meaning they are likely to lose access to CalFresh benefits three months after they are screened. An estimated 108,000 people could be cut off each month, with people experiencing homelessness composing about one-third of that group.
Among affected recipients, research from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that CalFresh makes up 73 percent of household resources for those not currently meeting or excused from work requirements, and 56 percent of this group has no recorded income apart from CalFresh.
Implementation Timeline
The rollout is happening in phases. Starting April 1, 2026, new applicants must meet updated noncitizen eligibility criteria. For ongoing CalFresh recipients, noncitizen household members will be screened at their next recertification, and no one should lose benefits before May 2026.
Beginning June 1, 2026, new applicants will be screened for time-limit exemptions. If an applicant does not meet an exemption, they will be limited to three months of CalFresh benefits until January 2029. Ongoing recipients will be screened at their next recertification. The earliest a current recipient could lose benefits due to the time limit is September 2026.
Only three California counties, Colusa, Imperial, and Tulare, retain active waivers from the time limit, based on local unemployment rates exceeding 10 percent.
Concerns About Implementation
County social services departments face major capacity challenges in implementing the new rules. They must screen all recipients for exemptions, verify work activities, and track compliance on a monthly basis. These expanded duties represent a substantial increase in workload for county employees.
Adding to the pressure, H.R. 1 introduced a new provision making the state and counties financially responsible for a portion of benefit costs if payment error rates exceed a predetermined threshold, starting in October 2027. This creates incentives for careful processing but risks slowing down an already strained system.
Anti-hunger advocates warn that the expanded time limits are likely to take food away from people who already work in unstable or low-wage jobs, as well as from people with significant barriers to employment such as disability, caregiving responsibilities, or a lack of available jobs. Research shows that age discrimination is a core challenge for older adults seeking employment, making the extension of work requirements to age 64 particularly problematic.
