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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 691 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 835
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Joan B. Lovely
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joan B. LovelySecond EssexMichael O. MooreSecond Worcester1/26/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk1/26/2023Robyn K. KennedyFirst Worcester1/30/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/8/2023Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/8/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin2/8/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex2/8/2023John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire2/8/2023John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex2/8/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/21/2023Liz MirandaSecond Suffolk2/21/2023 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 691 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 835
By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 835) of Joan B. Lovely, Michael O.
Moore, Sal N. DiDomenico, Robyn K. Kennedy and other members of the General Court for
legislation to establish the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative. Higher Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2811 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act establishing the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
2following section:-
3 Section 46. (a) Subject to appropriation, there shall be a hunger-free campus grant
4program managed by the department to provide grants to institutions of public higher education
5to address student food insecurity and hunger in order to support students in completion of their
6career and technical education at the post-secondary level with the goal of enhancing the
7workforce of the commonwealth. This grant program shall also be available to municipally
8administered colleges and to minority serving institutions as defined under 20 U.S.C. 1067k (3)
9as determined by the United States Department of Education. Using funding allocated under the
10grant program, the department is authorized to hire a director of the program who shall report to 2 of 3
11the commissioner. The director shall develop guidelines and procedures governing the grant
12making process and the program using available data pertaining to student hunger. The director
13may also conduct any additional surveys the department deems necessary to understand gaps in
14addressing student food insecurity and hunger eligible higher education campuses across the
15commonwealth. The guidelines and procedures that govern the program shall specify any
16requirements applicable to eligible institutions of higher education including, but not limited to:
17(i) whether the institution has designated campus staff to interface with the department; (ii) the
18existence and extent of any campus-level hunger awareness programs, including notification to
19students of their rights to participate in federal and state food assistance programs; (iii) whether
20the institution has established on-campus meal vendors to accept available federal and state
21nutrition benefits; (iv) the existence or development of a student meal credit sharing program; (v)
22income based standards by which grant levels are determined according to the student population
23at each participating campus; and (vi) any other pertinent criteria as developed by the
24department. The department shall further develop and deliver technical assistance to assist
25eligible institutions of higher education to meet the goals of this program.
26 (b) Subject to appropriation, the department shall award grants to institutions that have
27met the guidelines and procedures established by the department. Upon recommendation by the
28director of the program, the commissioner or a designee shall determine the amount of each grant
29which shall be used by the institution to address food insecurity among its students in accordance
30with the program and shall establish reporting guidelines for grant recipients.
31 (c) Annually, not later than July 1, the department shall submit a report on the hunger-
32free campus grant program for the preceding fiscal year to the governor, the clerks of the senate
33and house of representatives and the joint committee on higher education. The report shall 3 of 3
34include the number and amounts of grants to eligible institutions well as a comprehensive
35assessment of the program for the applicable year, including: (i) identifying the institutions
36participating in the program; (ii) describing the activities of participating campuses; (iii) the level
37of student engagement in activities; and (iv) the outcomes resulting from activities.
38 (d) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate
39fund to be known as the Hunger-Free Campus Trust Fund administered by the commissioner of
40higher education. The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other
41money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii)
42interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts,
43grants and donations. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation
44and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General
45Fund. Amounts credited to the fund shall be used to fund grants made pursuant to the program,
46and for the cost of administration of such program by the department of higher education.
47 (e) Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner shall report to the clerks of the
48senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on higher education and the house and
49senate committees on ways and means on the fund's activity including: (i) the source and amount
50of funds received; (ii) the amounts distributed and the purpose of expenditures from the fund;
51(iii) any grants provided to institutions of higher education and other stakeholder organizations;
52and (iv) anticipated revenue and expenditure projections for the next year.