Added by Stats. 1972, Ch. 918.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the McCarthy-Kennick Nutrition Program for the Elderly Act of 1972.
Chapter 5.7 - Nutrition Program for the Elderly
California Welfare and Institutions Code — §§ 18325-18335
Sections (15)
Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 717. Effective January 1, 2007.
It is the intention of the Legislature that the State of California through state, local governmental, and private agencies shall make a maximum contribution of their in-kind resources and in-kind facilities in order to implement this chapter under Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, provided however that should federal funds become available under Title VII of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3021 et seq.), as amended, the Legislature intends that programs provided pursuant to this chapter be implemented to the maximum extent feasible under Title VII (former 42 U.S.C. Sec. 3045 et seq.) in order to secure the maximum federal financial participation. The Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.), as amended, states that the federal government will share in the cost of approved programs and that the local or state share may be “in-kind” contributions.
Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 227, Sec. 67. (AB 1400) Effective January 1, 2012.
The California Commission on Aging, with the approval of the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, shall develop and submit to the federal government the state plan for implementation of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, pursuant to this chapter. Such plan shall be submitted by February 1, 1973, and by May 1st of each succeeding year. While such state plan is in preparation, any private agency or public agency, with the consent of the jurisdiction involved, may submit to the California Commission on Aging for review and consideration its proposal for funding and assistance pursuant to the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended. The commission shall do everything feasible to assist such private and state or local agencies in the preparation of
their proposals.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 302, Sec. 1. (AB 1476) Effective January 1, 2026.
The state plan referred to in Section 18326 shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a)Establishment of projects that, five or more days per week, provide at least one meal per day, either served in an in-person setting, or provided for to-go pickup to be consumed in a virtual congregate setting by eligible individuals, and any additional meals the contracting agency or organization may elect to provide.
(b)Provision of nutrition projects for individuals 60 years of age or older who are eligible.
(c)Furnishing of sites for nutrition projects in close proximity to concentrations of eligible individuals’
residences, such as schools, churches, senior centers, and facilities serving older adults.
(d)Utilization of administrative methods to ensure maximum participation of eligible individuals.
(e)Provision of special menus, when feasible, to meet particular dietary needs arising from health or religious requirements or ethnic backgrounds.
(f)Provision of settings conducive to including, as a part of these projects, recreational activities, information, health and wellness counseling, and referral services.
(g)Provision of appropriate modes of transportation, when feasible, essential to maximum participation of eligible individuals confined to their homes.
(h)Establishment and
administration of projects with the advice of persons competent in the field and of older Californians who will themselves participate in the program.
(i)Nutrition education.
Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1025.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the state plan referred to in Section 18326 and Section 18327 shall provide that not less than 10 percent nor more than 20 percent of all funds expended for nutrition services shall be available for meals to individuals in their residences, except as otherwise required by federal law.
Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1025.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not more than 20 percent of the funds administered by the state for nutrition services for the elderly pursuant to this chapter shall be expended for meals delivered to individuals in their residences. Such individuals receiving meals served in their residences shall not be required to participate in congregate feeding programs, except as otherwise required by federal law.
Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 373.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no agency providing food services, pursuant to this chapter shall be prohibited from serving meals consistent with terms and conditions in its contract, to individuals as long as the total number of meals served by all agencies within the region, as established by the State Department of Aging, does not exceed the number of meals authorized by the State Department of Aging to be served for such region.
Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 302, Sec. 2. (AB 1476) Effective January 1, 2026.
Notwithstanding any other law, meals served or provided to be consumed outside of an in-person setting or a virtual congregate setting may be provided under the Home Delivered Nutrition Services program established pursuant to Subpart II (commencing with Section 3030f) of Part C of Subchapter III of Chapter 35 of Title 42 of the United States Code. Meals that are served or provided as described in this section shall comply with the federal requirements governing that program.
Added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 1181.
To the extent permitted by federal law, benefits received under this chapter shall not be treated as income or resources for the purpose of any program or provision of Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000).
Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 380.
In each case where the Director of the State Department of Aging determines that the failure or inability of any contractor adequately to perform the terms of a contract for a nutrition project established pursuant to this chapter requires the suspension, termination or withholding of funding for that project in accordance with applicable law, the State Department of Aging may provide on a purchase-of-service basis the services which otherwise would have been provided by that project for a period not to exceed 60 consecutive days where necessary to avoid interruption of provision of nutrition services to eligible individuals.
Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 713, Sec. 59. Effective September 15, 1992.
There is hereby established a Nutrition Reserve Fund under the control of the Director of the Department of Aging. From the fund the director may allocate to any individual nutrition project for any fiscal year no more than three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) in order to maintain necessary services which lack sufficient federal funding.
A nutrition project shall not receive more than one appropriation from the Nutrition Reserve Fund during the duration of the contract period of the project.
Requests for allocations from the Nutrition Reserve Fund shall be reviewed by the applicable local area agency on aging. The local area agency on aging shall submit recommendations to the California Department of Aging.
Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 1292, Sec. 3.
Notwithstanding the limitations of Section 18331 of this code, the director is empowered to allocate money from the Nutrition Reserve Fund in order to implement the Nutrition and Volunteer Services Program for Senior Citizens for the calendar year commencing January 1, 1981.
Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 713, Sec. 60. Effective September 15, 1992.
(a)All allocations from the Nutrition Reserve Fund shall be approved by the Director of Finance prior to issuance.
(b)The funds shall be used to maintain existing nutrition services when it is determined that no federal funds are available for this purpose. To the extent funds are available in the initial appropriation under Chapter 1189 of the Statutes of 1979, Nutrition Reserve Fund moneys may be used for increased cost per meal resulting from inflation and increased number of participants in existing projects resulting from the fact that inflation is causing more seniors on fixed incomes to fall below the poverty level.
(c)When appropriated by the Legislature, the Nutrition Reserve Fund, not to exceed an aggregate total of one million dollars ($1,000,000), may be used to extend or implement innovative nutrition demonstration projects.
(d)In addition, one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the fund shall constitute a revolving loan account from which the Department of Aging may extend loans, without interest, not to exceed three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) per loan to be repaid from yearend balances in any senior nutrition project.
(e)In order to qualify for funds from the Nutrition Reserve Fund a nutrition project shall be required to seek from the community in which it is located, a matching grant in the amount equal to 5 percent of the requested allocation. The matching grant may be in the form of in-kind services, unless these services are presently being used as the basis for a matching grant for the project. In addition, if all other alternatives are exhausted to meet the 5-percent federal matching requirement required in PL 95-478, the Department of Aging may allocate funds from the Nutrition Reserve Fund as are necessary to meet this 5-percent match requirement. These funds may be used to maintain existing services, one-time major expenditures or to expand services to fulfill unmet needs. Thirty days prior to allocating funds from the Nutrition Reserve Fund for the purpose of meeting the 5-percent federal matching requirement, the Department of Aging shall advise the Assembly Committee on Aging, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the fiscal committees in both houses of its plan for these allocations.
(f)When a nutrition project receives an allocation of funds from the Nutrition Reserve Fund due to the presence of fiscal difficulties, the Department of Aging shall, in conjunction with the applicable local area agency on aging and the nutrition project receiving these funds, take immediate action to determine the reason for the project’s fiscal difficulties.
Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 105, Sec. 1. Effective May 23, 1990.
(a)The Nutrition Reserve Fund shall also be used for the purpose of making loans to maintain existing levels of supportive services provided pursuant to Section 3030d of Title 42 of the United States Code, in order to compensate for cuts in federal funds for those services for the 1989–90 state fiscal year.
(b)The loans shall be repaid with one-time-only funds as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 9315, or with federal funds received in the fourth quarter of the 1989–90 federal fiscal year.
Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 355, Sec. 1.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(a)Retired firemen may be utilized to conduct fire inspections of the sites of nutrition projects for senior citizens in order to determine whether such sites are in compliance with state and local fire safety standards.
(b)Retired licensed sanitarians may be utilized to conduct sanitation inspections of sites of nutrition projects for senior citizens in order to determine whether such sites are in compliance with applicable state and local sanitation standards.
Such retirees may contract with local area agencies on aging or nutrition projects to perform the required inspections as independent contractors. Fees for the undertaking of such inspections shall be paid out of federal funds allocated to local area agencies on aging which are provided by Title III of the Older Americans Act.
A written report of the findings of such fire safety and sanitation inspections shall be furnished to the appropriate area agency on aging or the director of the nutrition project in which sites inspected are located.
A report of uncorrected fire safety deficiencies, after a followup inspection, shall be supplied or mailed to the local fire protection agency.
A report of uncorrected sanitation deficiencies, after a followup inspection, shall be supplied or mailed to the local health agency.
It is the intent of this section that inspections carried out pursuant hereto shall satisfy federal regulations which provide that sites for nutrition projects for senior citizens must meet applicable state and local fire sanitation standards.