18926. (Amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 310, Sec. 4.)

(a) (1) To the extent permitted by federal law, the department shall annually seek a federal waiver of the existing federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program limitation that stipulates that an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) participant is limited to three months of CalFresh benefits in a three-year period unless that participant has met the work participation requirement or is otherwise exempt.

(2) For purposes of this section, “ABAWD participant” includes a parent or other member of a household with responsibility for a dependent child 14 years of age or older as a result of federal H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21), signed by United States President Donald J. Trump on July 4, 2025.

(b) All eligible counties shall be included in and bound by this waiver.

(c) At its option, when a county is not eligible for a countywide waiver, a county may request that the department apply for the waiver described in subdivision (a) for one or more eligible subareas of the county. The department shall seek the subarea waiver within a reasonable timeframe following a request made by a county, and may seek any necessary information from the county to support the waiver request.