Assembly committee advances bill to fund grocery stores in food deserts

Sen. Rubio presented Senate Bill 18, the Food Affordability Act, to the Assembly Committee on Agriculture on behalf of the bill's author, proposing a Food Desert Elimination Grant Program at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to provide grants for opening or improving grocery stores in communities with limited access to fresh, affordable food.

The bill's backers, including the California Grocers Association, told the committee the program would increase access to fresh food in both rural and urban areas and help catalyze additional nonprofit and federal funding; opponents urged amendments to prioritize community-led retailers, tribal and BIPOC-owned operations, and long-term commitments from grantees.

SB 18 would authorize CDFA to award grants to grocery operators for siting and improving stores in identified food deserts and would set aside funds for technical assistance, according to testimony. Sen. Rubio said the measure aims to bring healthier food options and job opportunities to underserved neighborhoods. "Every Californian deserves access to nutritious food," Sen. Rubio said during the presentation.

Taylor Truff, representing the California Grocers Association, said food insecurity affects one in five Californians and described grocery margins as narrow, arguing state grants could allow grocers to open or retrofit smaller-format stores and collaborate with nonprofit partners that have helped replicate similar projects elsewhere. "We find an opportunity for some synergy with our nonprofit partners," Truff said, citing previous pilots and other states' programs as models.

Opponents including Ezer Pimentuan of the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the California Food and Farming Network said the bill, as drafted, could favor larger chains that already receive subsidies and sometimes close stores, and they urged amendments that would require community input, prioritize BIPOC- and tribal-owned businesses, and ensure long-term commitments to remain in the communities served. "Building a grocery store doesn't address the root causes of hunger, like low wages and high food costs," Pimentuan said, and recommended stronger community-centered guardrails.

A commenter identifying as the executive director of the Native American Environmental Protection Coalition described tribal experience in Hoopa, where small local grocers closed after a chain entered the market; the speaker said the tribe later opened a community-focused grocery that prioritized local farmers, diabetic-appropriate items and price protections. The speaker urged community-led approaches rather than relying solely on large chains.

Committee members asked how SB 18 would interact with existing federal programs such as the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), what safeguards would ensure grantees remain in place long term, and how the department would ensure community engagement. Sponsors said federal HFFI awards and other federal funding remain available and that the bill is intended to position California to compete for those dollars; CDFA would conduct a stakeholder process and could build prioritization criteria and scoring rubrics into grant solicitations.

Assembly members from both urban and rural districts described local grocery closures and long travel distances to stores, and several said they supported the bill's intent while urging additional guardrails to protect small, local retailers. The committee voted to pass SB 18 to the Appropriations Committee. The clerk recorded the motion as passed and the committee reported the bill on a recorded vote; tally recorded in the hearing was 7 ayes, 0 no votes.

The bill now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee where advocates and opponents said they expect further negotiations over prioritization, community engagement requirements, and how state funding would be combined with federal and nonprofit resources.

Votes at a glance SB 18 (Rubio) ' Motion: Pass to Appropriations Committee. Outcome: Approved. Recorded tally reported as 7 yes, 0 no.