DATE: September 23, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Disaster CalFresh Mutual Aid Memorandum of Understanding
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Valley Regional Counties to continue formalized protocols for Disaster CalFresh mutual aid support and services, effective upon execution by all participating counties, not to exceed six consecutive years, which includes a five-year base contract and one optional twelve-month extension ($0).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action would continue the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County and other valley regional counties for mutual aid support when assistance is needed in operating a Disaster CalFresh (D-CalFresh) program. The current MOU is due to expire October 31, 2025. The recommended MOU satisfies the requirement for counties to participate in a D-CalFresh mutual aid region created through the Community Resiliency and Disaster Preparedness Act of 2017 [Assembly Bill 607 (Chapter 501, Section 6)] and outlined in Welfare and Institutions Code (W&IC), section 18917(a)(2). There is no funding associated with the recommended action. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board choose not to approve the recommended action, the Department of Social Services will be unable to fulfill the requirement to participate in a mutual aid region as part of the County D-CalFresh Plan as outlined in the W&IC section 18917(a)(2).
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. There is no cost associated with the MOU itself, and approval of the recommended action does not obligate the Department to provide disaster assistance to another county. However, per the provisions of the MOU and consistent with previously established practice, the county receiving assistance shall reimburse the supporting county for all associated costs of both personnel and technical support
DISCUSSION:
D-CalFresh, also known federally as the Disaster Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program provides temporary food assistance to eligible households adversely affected by a declared disaster. D-CalFresh is available only when a Presidential Declaration of Major Disaster with Individual Assistance has been applied to an affected area and the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service has authorized the State of California to operate D-CalFresh in the impacted county or counties.
On December 4, 2018, the Board approved an MOU with the Valley Regional Counties of Human Services Mutual Aid Plan to formalize protocols for D-CalFresh mutual aid support and services. On August 10, 2021, the Board approved a second MOU with the Valley Regional Counties of Human Services Mutual Aid Plan. This current MOU will expire on October 31, 2025, and includes the following counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.
County social services departments may experience operational challenges brought on by a widespread disaster, such as low staffing levels, facility losses, and technology damage, which may impede the issuance of disaster assistance to impacted residents. The purpose of the mutual aid MOU is to ensure there are sufficient resources to continue adequate provision of benefits during a disaster through the assistance of nearby counties.
With your Board’s approval, the recommended MOU will allow the continuation of D-CalFresh mutual aid support and services should the participating counties need future assistance for D-CalFresh operations. The MOU provides the flexibility to request aid, such as personnel and technological support, from other counties for a specific, agreed-upon period to facilitate timely issuance of D-CalFresh benefits. The supporting county will document any time and resources used and will be reimbursed by the impacted county. This MOU will be effective upon execution by all participating counties through October 31, 2030, which includes an optional one-year extension. Should all counties choose to exercise the optional one-year extension, the MOU, in its entirety, will remain in effect through October 31, 2031. The MOU does not prevent counties from seeking D-CalFresh assistance from non-participating counties and does not obligate a participating county to accept requests they cannot fulfill. The recommended MOU was developed by San Joaquin County and deviates from the County’s standard contract model. However, the MOU has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel with no additional recommendations.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #55, August 10, 2021
BAI #61, December 4, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk – Disaster CalFresh Program MOU
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander