Introduced Version
HOUSE BILL No. 1066
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 21-18-21.
Synopsis: Hunger-free campus grant program. Establishes the
hunger-free campus grant program (grant program) to provide grants
to state educational institutions for purposes of addressing food
insecurity among students enrolled in state educational institutions.
Provides that the commission for higher education (commission) shall
provide a grant under the grant program to a state educational
institution, if at least one campus is designated by the commission as
a hunger-free campus. Establishes criteria that a campus of a state
educational institution must meet in order to be designated a
hunger-free campus. Makes an appropriation.
Effective: July 1, 2024.
Harris
January 8, 2024, read first time and referred to Committee on Education.
2024 IN 1066—LS 6389/DI 152 Introduced
Second Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2024)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
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a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
HOUSE BILL No. 1066
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
higher education and to make an appropriation.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 21-18-21 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2024]:
4 Chapter 21. Hunger-Free Campus Program
5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "grant fund" refers to the
6 hunger-free campus grant fund established by section 5 of this
7 chapter.
8 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "grant program" refers to the
9 hunger-free campus grant program established by section 4 of this
10 chapter.
11 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "SNAP" refers to the
12 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under IC 12-14-30.
13 Sec. 4. (a) The hunger-free campus grant program is established
14 to provide grants on a competitive basis to state educational
15 institutions for the purposes of:
16 (1) addressing student hunger;
17 (2) leveraging sustainable solutions to address the basic needs
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1 of students at state educational institutions;
2 (3) raising awareness of the basic needs services offered at
3 state educational institutions; and
4 (4) building strategic partnerships at the local, state, and
5 national levels to address food insecurity among students at
6 postsecondary educational institutions.
7 (b) The commission shall administer the grant program.
8 Sec. 5. (a) The hunger-free campus grant fund is established for
9 the purpose of providing grants to state educational institutions
10 under the grant program.
11 (b) The commission shall administer the grant fund.
12 (c) The grant fund consists of:
13 (1) money appropriated to the grant fund by the general
14 assembly;
15 (2) money transferred to the grant fund by the commission;
16 and
17 (3) gifts, grants, devises, bequests, and other donations made
18 to the grant fund.
19 (d) The expenses of administering the grant fund shall be paid
20 from money in the fund.
21 (e) Money in the grant fund at the end of a state fiscal year does
22 not revert to the state general fund but remains available to be:
23 (1) used for the purposes of the grant program; or
24 (2) transferred by the commission to another fund
25 administered by the commission.
26 Sec. 6. (a) To the extent that sufficient money is available in the
27 grant fund, the commission shall provide a grant from the grant
28 fund to a state educational institution if the commission designates
29 at least one (1) campus of the state educational institution as a
30 hunger-free campus.
31 (b) A campus of a state educational institution that meets the
32 following requirements may be designated by the commission as a
33 hunger-free campus:
34 (1) The campus establishes a hunger task force that:
35 (A) includes student representatives from the student body
36 of the campus;
37 (B) meets at least three (3) times each academic year; and
38 (C) sets at least two (2) goals with action plans in
39 furtherance of the purposes described in section 4(a) of this
40 chapter.
41 (2) The campus designates a member of the campus's staff to
42 be responsible for providing students with information
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1 regarding enrollment in SNAP.
2 (3) The campus:
3 (A) allows students to use SNAP benefits at campus stores;
4 or
5 (B) provides students with information regarding
6 establishments in the surrounding area at which students
7 can use SNAP electronic benefits transfers.
8 (4) The campus holds an awareness day campaign activity or
9 event during the national hunger and homelessness awareness
10 week.
11 (5) The campus:
12 (A) provides at least one (1) physical food pantry on
13 campus; or
14 (B) enables students to receive food through a separate,
15 stigma-free arrangement.
16 (6) The campus:
17 (A) develops a student meal credit donation program; or
18 (B) allocates a designated amount of funds for free food
19 vouchers for students.
20 (7) The campus biannually:
21 (A) conducts a student survey on hunger developed by the
22 commission; and
23 (B) submits:
24 (i) the results of the survey; and
25 (ii) a best practices campus profile;
26 to the commission at a time prescribed by the commission.
27 (c) The commission shall determine the amount of a grant
28 provided to a state educational institution under this section.
29 (d) The commission shall give priority to a state educational
30 institution where a larger proportion of the state educational
31 institution's student body is receiving a Pell grant when providing
32 a grant under this section.
33 (e) A state educational institution that receives a grant under
34 this section shall:
35 (1) use the grant funds for the purposes described in section
36 4(a) of this chapter; and
37 (2) report to the commission, in the manner and on the
38 schedule prescribed by the commission, the purposes for
39 which the grant funds were used and the results obtained by
40 the state educational institution as a result of the state
41 educational institution's use of the grant funds.
42 (f) A state educational institution may partner with a local food
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1 bank or food pantry to meet the requirement under subsection
2 (b)(5).
3 (g) In the development of the survey under subsection (b)(7), the
4 commission shall use any existing surveys designed to collect
5 information regarding food insecurity among students enrolled in
6 state educational institutions.
7 (h) The commission shall use the results of the survey under
8 subsection (b)(7) to compile and publish on the commission's
9 website a comparative profile of each campus designated as a
10 hunger-free campus.
11 Sec. 7. (a) Not later than July 1, 2027, the commission shall
12 submit to the governor, the president pro tempore of the senate,
13 and the speaker of the house of representatives a report regarding
14 the grant program that includes:
15 (1) the number of grants awarded under the grant program
16 and the amount of each grant;
17 (2) a description of the effect the grant program has had on
18 establishing additional hunger-free campuses at state
19 educational institutions and reducing the number of students
20 at state educational institutions experiencing food insecurity;
21 and
22 (3) the commission's recommendations regarding the
23 potential establishment of an annual appropriation for the
24 grant program.
25 (b) A report submitted to the president pro tempore of the
26 senate and the speaker of the house of representatives must be in
27 an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
28 Sec. 8. The commission shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to
29 carry out this chapter.
30 Sec. 9. (a) The commission shall transfer:
31 (1) one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) from the funds
32 appropriated to the commission for the state fiscal year
33 beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026; and
34 (2) one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) from the
35 funds appropriated to the commission for the state fiscal year
36 beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027;
37 to the grant fund for the purpose of providing grants under this
38 chapter.
39 (b) This section expires December 31, 2027.
40 SECTION 2. [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2024] (a) There is
41 appropriated from the state general fund to the hunger-free
42 campus grant fund established by IC 21-18-21-5, as added by this
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1 act, two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the state
2 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, for
3 use by the commission for higher education in providing grants
4 under IC 21-18-21, as added by this act.
5 (b) This SECTION expires December 31, 2025.
2024 IN 1066—LS 6389/DI 152