California Governor Seeks Exemption for Free Diaper Program from Standard Bidding Rules

The program, called Golden State Start, provides 400 free diapers to California parents regardless of income. It was launched ahead of Mother's Day and is administered through a nonprofit organization.

State officials said the exemption would ensure program continuity as funding expands to more families and hospitals. A spokesperson stated that diaper manufacturers, nonprofits, diaper banks, and food banks were invited to participate and responses were evaluated based on vendors' ability to meet operational and distribution goals.

The Department of Finance letter to legislative budget committees also sought exemptions from parts of the Government Code and the Public Contract Code. Officials said the state had already sought out vendors before the budget language was proposed.

Legislative Response State Sen.

Roger Niello, vice chair of the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, said the plan does not make sense and questioned the use of a nonprofit as a middleman. He said administrative expenses would increase the unit price of the diapers. The nonprofit previously stated it underwent a rigorous vetting process.

It also said the California Partners Project had no connection to the partnership for the program. Critics have questioned the priority of providing free diapers to all families during a period of state budget challenges.