Laird bill would cut red tape in Food Stamp program.

A bill working its way through the legislature will make it easier for thousands of Monterey County residents to receive food stamps.

Central Coast Assemblyman John Laird says AB 3029, the Food Stamp Simplification Act of 2006, will cut through the bureaucracy that reduces access to the program.

“There are 2 million Californians who are eligible for food stamps and don’t access them,” he says. “And 68 percent are kids.”

As a result of this under-enrollment, the state passes up more than $2 billion in federal funding every year. “We’re giving up $2 billion from the federal government to feed people who need food,” Laird says.

In Monterey County, an estimated 132,000 adults and kids are considered “food insecure,” which means that they lack adequate access to food. Currently, 31,077 adults are eligible for food stamps locally, but nearly half of those eligible—14,606—don’t receive them.

AB 3029 will do three things: First, it will simplify reporting rules. California is one of only a handful of states that requires recipients to file reports every three months—twice as often as most states. This bill would move California to a six-month reporting period.

The bill would also reduce required office visits, making it easier for working people—whose typical working hours often mirror food stamp office hours—to keep their food stamps. Finally, AB 3029 would simplify the application process.