AB 537 aimed to require all farmers' markets in California to accept SNAP benefits by 2012, but through compromise became less rigorous. It began as a local issue in Salinas, brought to the state legislature by Assemblymember Juan Arambula. While the final bill did not mandate acceptance as strongly as initially planned, the process of debate and coalition building increased support and led some markets to start accepting SNAP, expanding access to fresh foods for low-income communities.

1. The Development of a California Assembly Bill
Making federal food assistance (SNAP) benefits universally accepted as a legitimate form of
payment in farmers’ markets.
• Explain AB 537 and what it means.
• Touch on evolution of the bill, beginning as a local issue in the Salinas Valley, Monterey County.
• Coalition building with Assemblymember Juan Arambula from Fresno, and other organizations that
support farmers’ markets, social justice, public health, etc. Partnership with Martha Guzman and
Jennifer Hernandez.
• Outcome of the bill was different than we had anticipated. Original version was more vigorous in
requiring every market in CA to accept EBT by year 2012.
• The shifted outcome is partially a result of bringing the debate to a public forum that resulted in
greater buy-in as well as compromise. Having a healthy debate over difference of opinions can turn
the process into one that is positive and unifying rather than controlling or exclusionary. As a result
of the compromising that occured, the one-time opponents became advocates of the bill and testified
their support in public.
• Another outcome of policy-making is the capacity-building among participants that get involved in
the political process so that knowledge and experience in policy-making is passed on by mentors
and new leaders emerge.
• Although the outcome was not as vigorous as planned, the bill has put the issue on the radar of
policy-makers and markets alike → It gave markets an extra push to set up the system in their
markets. After the bill passed, several markets in California decided to implement EBT.
• Today all markets in Salinas accept EBT as well. There are now 11 markets in Monterey County
accepting EBT as opposed to 6 prior.