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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6229
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 3788
Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
Introduced by:
(HED)
AN ACT ADDRESSING TH E NEEDS OF FOOD-INSECURE STUDENTS
AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section, 1
"food insecurity" or "food insecure" means the lack of financial resources 2
needed to consistently access enough food for an active and healthy life. 3
(b) Not later than March 1, 2022, and biennially thereafter, each public 4
institution of higher education in the state shall administer a survey to 5
each student enrolled at such institution for the purpose of collecting 6
data on the number of students who are food insecure and the causes of 7
and reasons for such food insecurity. Such survey shall include, but 8
need not be limited to, questions regarding a student's (1) demographic 9
background, including age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, marital 10
status, income, education and employment; (2) specific barriers to food 11
access; and (3) awareness or use of community or institutional resources 12
to address food insecurity and any barriers to accessing such resources. 13
(c) Not later than October 1, 2022, and biennially thereafter, each 14
public institution of higher education shall evaluate any services and 15
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programs offered by such institution to address the needs of food-16
insecure students. Based on the results of the survey administered 17
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, each institution shall amend 18
any existing or establish new services and programs to address the 19
needs of food-insecure students. Such services or programs may 20
include, but not be limited to, (1) assistance and support for students to 21
enroll in the supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant to the 22
federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 or any other state or federal 23
program for nutrition assistance or financial aid, including programs for 24
families, if applicable to the student; (2) providing low-cost food or meal 25
plan options on campus; (3) allowing students additional meals through 26
extra card swipes on meal plans; (4) providing financial assistance or 27
other financial student aid; (5) establishing or expanding a food pantry 28
on campus; or (6) initiating a fruit and vegetable incentive program, or 29
making such program available to students through agreement with a 30
community nonprofit organization or governmental agency that 31
provides such program. When establishing or amending any services or 32
programs pursuant to this subsection, each institution shall have the 33
goal to provide such services and programs to not less than ten per cent 34
of the number of students identified as being food insecure in the survey 35
administered pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 36
(d) Not later than January 1, 2023, and biennially thereafter, each 37
public institution of higher education in the state shall submit a report, 38
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 39
to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 40
cognizance of matters relating to higher education regarding any food 41
insecurity among the students at such institution, including, but not 42
limited to, (1) results from the survey administered pursuant to 43
subsection (b) of this section, (2) services and programs to address the 44
needs of food-insecure students, including any changes made to such 45
services or programs pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, and (3) 46
the number of students who utilized such services and programs during 47
the preceding two years. 48
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Sec. 2. Section 17b-105f of the general statutes is amended by adding 49
subsections (e) to (g), inclusive, as follows (Effective July 1, 2021): 50
(NEW) (e) Not later than January 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the 51
Department of Social Services and the Board of Regents for Higher 52
Education shall jointly identify any educational program offered at a 53
regional community-technical college that would meet the requirements 54
of a supplemental nutrition assistance employment and training 55
program administered by the department pursuant to subsection (a) of 56
this section. In identifying such educational programs, the department 57
and the board shall seek to maximize the number and types of 58
supplemental nutrition assistance employment and training programs 59
offered at the regional community-technical colleges. 60
(NEW) (f) The Department of Social Services shall qualify any 61
educational program identified pursuant to subsection (e) of this section 62
as a supplemental nutrition assistance employment and training 63
program and shall seek any federal approval necessary to make such 64
qualification. 65
(NEW) (g) Not later than July 1, 2022, the Department of Social 66
Services shall post and regularly update on its Internet web site, and the 67
Board of Regents for Higher Education shall post and regularly update 68
on the Internet web site of each regional community-technical college, 69
the list of educational programs offered at each regional community-70
technical college that has been qualified as a supplemental nutrition 71
assistance employment and training program pursuant to subsections 72
(e) and (f) of this section. 73
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) For the purpose of determining 74
eligibility for the supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant 75
to the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the Department of Social 76
Services shall consider any student enrolled in an institution of higher 77
education in the state to be participating in a state or federally financed 78
work-study program if such student receives approval of work-study as 79
part of a financial aid package to attend such institution of higher 80
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education, regardless of whether such student has received his or her 81
work-study program assignment. 82
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) Each public institution of higher 83
education shall notify any student who has been identified by the 84
financial aid office of such public institution of higher education as 85
being potentially eligible for the supplemental nutrition assistance 86
program pursuant to the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. Such 87
notice shall include (1) the requirements to qualify for such program, (2) 88
the application process for such program, and (3) where such student 89
can receive assistance in completing an application for such program. 90
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 17b-105f
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require public institutions of higher education to assess and address
food insecurity among students and to increase access to the
supplemental nutrition assistance program by eligible students at
institutions of higher education.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. FOSTER, 57th Dist.; REP. ELLIOTT, 88th Dist.
SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist.; REP. TURCO, 27th Dist.
REP. HADDAD, 54th Dist.; REP. GILCHREST, 18th Dist.
REP. FARRAR, 20th Dist.; REP. WINKLER, 56th Dist.
H.B. 6229, 5463