A consortium of San Francisco health officials and nonprofits is pushing for California legislators to permanently enshrine access to nutritious food as a covered benefit under the state’s Medicaid program.

The California State Assembly Committee on Health will consider Assembly Bill 1975 in a hearing next week. The legislation, sponsored by the San Francisco-based Food as Medicine Collaborative and introduced by Oakland Assemblymember Mia Bonta, would make a pilot program that provides “medically supportive food and nutrition services” — including meals — a permanent benefit for Medi-Cal recipients.