HB273INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB273
IUYE666-1
By Representatives Collins, Almond
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 13-Feb-25
1
2
3
4
5 IUYE666-1 02/07/2025 KMS (L)cr 2025-454
Page 1
First Read: 13-Feb-25
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would establish the Hunger-Free Campus
Act.
This bill would require the Alabama Commission
on Higher Education to establish a process for a
qualified public institution of higher education to be
designated as a hunger-free campus.
This bill would provide application and
eligibility requirements for designation as a
hunger-free campus.
This bill would also provide for the award of
grants to a hunger-free campus to purchase equipment
and supplies for on-campus food pantries, subject to
the appropriation of funds by the Legislature.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To create the Hunger-Free Campus Act administered by
the Alabama Commission on Higher Education; to provide for the
designation of a qualified public institution of higher
education as a hunger-free campus; to provide application,
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 HB273 INTRODUCED
Page 2
education as a hunger-free campus; to provide application,
eligibility, and renewal criteria; and to require the
commission to adopt necessary rules.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the Hunger-Free Campus Act.
Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) COMMISSION. The Alabama Commission on Higher
Education.
(2) PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION. A public
two-year or four-year institution of higher education which
provides vocational, technical, collegiate, professional, or
any other form of education above the secondary school level.
(3) SNAP. The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program.
Section 3. The commission, by rule, shall establish an
application process for qualified public institutions of
higher education to be designated as hunger-free campuses. The
process shall include the completion and submission to the
commission of an application form developed by the commission,
the review of each submitted application form by the
commission, and the award of the designation to each public
institution of higher education that meets the eligibility
requirements provided in Section 4.
Section 4. To be eligible for designation as a
hunger-free campus, a public institution of higher education
shall do all of the following:
(1) Establish a hunger-free task force. A task force
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56 HB273 INTRODUCED
Page 3
(1) Establish a hunger-free task force. A task force
shall meet at least three times per academic year, annually
establish at least two program goals, and develop action plans
for each of those goals. The membership of a task force, at a
minimum, shall include all of the following:
a. At least two students who are enrolled in and
attending the public institution of higher education.
b. A representative from the office of student affairs
of the public institution of higher education.
c. A representative from the financial aid office of
the public institution of higher education.
d. Any additional members deemed appropriate by the
public institution of higher education.
(2) Designate a staff member to be responsible for
assisting students with receiving information on SNAP benefits
in the state.
(3) Either: (i) provide options for students to utilize
SNAP benefits on each campus; or (ii) provide students with
information on local establishments in the geographic area
surrounding each campus where students may use SNAP benefits.
(4) Hold or participate in at least one food insecurity
awareness event per academic year.
(5) Provide: (i) at least one physical food pantry on
each campus; or (ii) information about community supported
food pantries in the area surrounding each campus.
(6) Either: (i) develop a student meal credit donation
program; or (ii) develop and implement a program to provide
free food vouchers including, but not limited to, grocery
store gift cards, to students.
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84 HB273 INTRODUCED
Page 4
store gift cards, to students.
(7) Administer a student survey about food insecurity
and other basic needs of students at least every two years.
Each public institution of higher education may partner with a
local community-based organization to coordinate survey
efforts.
Section 5. (a) Designation as a hunger-free campus
shall be valid for two years, and, upon application to the
commission, may be renewed for an additional two years.
(b) If the commission determines that a public
institution of higher education does not meet the requirements
to renew its designation, the commission shall do both of the
following:
a. Provide written notice to the public institution of
higher education that the public institution of higher
education has not met the criteria in Section 4.
b. Provide the public institution of higher education
within 45 days from the receipt of notice to correct or amend
its renewal application. If the public institution of higher
education does not submit a corrected or amended renewal
application that indicates compliance with the renewal
requirements, the designation as a hunger-free campus shall
not be renewed.
(c) A public institution of higher education whose
designation as a hunger-free campus is not renewed may not
apply for the designation again until the following academic
year.
Section 6. Subject to the appropriation of funds by the
Legislature, the commission shall accept grant requests from
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112 HB273 INTRODUCED
Page 5
Legislature, the commission shall accept grant requests from
any public institution of higher education designated as a
hunger-free campus and shall award grants to those designated
public institutions of higher education on a competitive
basis. The commission shall determine the amount of each
grant, prioritizing grants made to designated public
institutions of higher education with the highest percentages
of eligible Pell Grant recipient enrollment. The grants shall
be used for the purchase of equipment and supplies including,
but not limited to, refrigeration appliances and shelving for
the conversion or upgrade of existing facilities to house food
pantries.
Section 7. The commission shall adopt rules as
necessary to administer and implement the program. A
percentage of any appropriation made to the commission for the
program may be expended by the commission for the operation
and maintenance of the program. Any funds appropriated to the
program shall be non-reverting.
Section 8. Grant recipients shall submit an annual
report to the commission regarding hunger-free activities on
the campus during the prior year and describe how grant awards
were used. The commission shall provide an annual report to
the Chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee and
the Chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education
Committee to account for the use of funds and the
effectiveness of the grant program.
Section 9. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2025.
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139