FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE August 5, 2026
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Christine Foster, Assistant to the Town Manager/Deputy Town Clerk SUBJECT Authorize the Mayor to Sign a Letter of Support for AB 1734, the Count Hunger Act (Stefani), on behalf of the Town of Fairfax
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Mayor to send a letter supporting Assembly Bill 1734 (Stefani), the Count Hunger Act, to the bill's author and the Town's state legislative delegation.
BACKGROUND
Food insecurity data at the national level has historically been measured through the Current Population Survey – Food Security Supplement, which surveyed approximately 40,000 households each December on food security status, use of programs such as SNAP and WIC, and related socioeconomic data. That survey informed research and policy tools such as Map the Meal Gap.
In October 2025, the federal government canceled the national food security survey for the current year and all future years. In January 2026, funding for the food insecurity screener administered through the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) was also cut following the loss of SNAP-Ed funding. CHIS, conducted annually by UCLA's Center for Health Policy Research, includes a six-question food security screener and provides county-level data that the federal survey did not.
AB 1734, the Count Hunger Act, was introduced by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani to restore and expand CHIS. The bill would return funding to CHIS and expand its food security screener to include households up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), compared with the roughly 200% FPL threshold (about $64,000 for a family of four) used by the discontinued federal survey.
DISCUSSION
AB 1734 responds to a gap in food insecurity data created by the cancellation of the federal survey and the CHIS screener funding. By restoring funding and expanding the income threshold to 400% FPL (roughly $128,000 for a family of four), the bill would allow the state to capture food insecurity among moderate-income households, not only the lowest-income households.
Available research supports the expanded threshold. The Brookings Institution estimates that roughly one-third of food-insecure households have incomes above 200% FPL, and a USDA study found that households earning more than 1.85 times the federal poverty threshold make up about 20% of all foodinsecure households. Expanding the survey would give the state and local jurisdictions more complete, county-level data to identify need and target food assistance resources.
A letter of support commits no Town funds and does not obligate the Town to any action. It expresses the Council's position to the bill's author and the Town's state representatives.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the Town associated with approving and sending a letter of support.
ATTACHMENTS
Letter of Support for AB 1734
T O W N O F F A I R F A X
142 BOLINAS ROAD, FAIRFAX, CALIFORNIA 94930
PHONE (415) 453 - 1584 / FAX (415) 453 - 1618
August 5, 2026
The Honorable Catherine Stefani
1021 O Street, Suite 5220
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Assembly Bill 1734, the Count Hunger Act (Stefani) – Support Letter Dear Assemblymember Stefani
On behalf of the Town of Fairfax, I write to express our support for AB 1734, the Count Hunger Act, introduced by you. As stated, this bill will return funding to and expand California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), administered by UCLA, to include households up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The funding and expansion are critical to accurately measure food insecurity and fill the gap left by the federal government’s cancellation of the national food security survey, which previously identified households up to 200% FPL (approximately $64,000 for a family of four) and the cancellation of funding to the CHIS food screener portion of the survey.
We’re living in a volatile climate where there are constant attacks on the social safety net and tools used to help identify and combat food insecurity by the federal government. The impact of the SNAP cuts and HR1 provisions means fewer services for participants and a destabilized safety net.
Research underscores the need for this change. The Brookings Institution estimates that one-third of all food-insecure households have incomes over 200% FPL and a USDA study shows that households earning more than 1.85 times the federal poverty threshold make up about 20% of all food-insecure households (Brookings Institution). This means families earning nearly twice the 200% FPL benchmark, about $64,000 for a family of four, still struggle. At 400% FPL, that equals roughly $128,000, proving food insecurity reaches far beyond low-income households.
Until recently, the annual Current Population Survey – Food Security Supplement provided the nation’s most comprehensive data on food insecurity, surveying 40,000 households each December. It asked key questions about food security status (including childhood food insecurity), use of food programs such as SNAP and WIC, barriers to food security, and socioeconomic data such as race, ethnicity, and income.
This survey informed critical research and policy decisions, including datasets like Map the Meal Gap.
Unfortunately, in October 2025, the Trump administration canceled the national survey for this year and all future years. In early January 2026, it was also announced that funding to conduct the food insecurity screener by CHIS was cut, resulting from the loss of SNAP Ed funding.
The CHIS study provides an alternative. Conducted annually by UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research, CHIS already includes a six-question food security screener and provides county-level data that the USDA survey cannot. By funding and expanding CHIS to include households up to 400% FPL, California would retain the tools needed to better understand and combat food insecurity.
California cannot afford to leave proven solutions on the table, especially when existing blueprints can help improve outcomes for all working families. For these reasons, we are proud to support AB 1734. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions about our position.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Helman
Mayor, Town of Fairfax