1 of 1
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1567 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 939
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 hunger-free campus initiative.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joan B. LovelySecond EssexJoanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/23/2025Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk2/6/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/8/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex2/12/2025Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
Hampshire
2/23/2025Nick CollinsFirst Suffolk3/4/2025Adam GomezHampden3/5/2025Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk3/5/2025Mark C. MontignySecond Bristol and Plymouth3/6/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex3/7/2025 1 of 4
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1567 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 939
By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 939) of Joan B. Lovely, Joanne M.
Comerford, Michael D. Brady, James B. Eldridge and other members of the General Court for
legislation to establish the hunger-free campus initiative that would provide grants to institutions
of public higher education to address student food insecurity and hunger. Higher Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4453 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act establishing the 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 Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
2 Section 46. (a) Subject to appropriation, there shall be a hunger-free campus grant
3program managed by the department to provide grants to institutions of public higher education
4to address student food insecurity and hunger in order to support students in completion of their
5career and technical education at the post-secondary level with the goal of enhancing the
6workforce of the commonwealth. This grant program shall also be available to municipally
7administered colleges and to minority-serving institutions as defined under 20 U.S.C. 1067k (3)
8as determined by the United States Department of Education. Funding for the grant program may 2 of 4
9include, but not be limited to, appropriations from the Education and Transportation Fund
10established in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29.
11 Using funding allocated under the grant program, the department is authorized to hire a
12director of the program who shall report to the commissioner. The director shall develop
13guidelines and procedures governing the grant making process and the program using available
14data pertaining to student hunger. The director may also conduct any additional surveys the
15department deems necessary to understand gaps in addressing student food insecurity and hunger
16eligible higher education campuses across the commonwealth.
17 The guidelines and procedures that govern the program shall specify any requirements
18applicable to eligible institutions of higher education including, but not limited to: (i) whether the
19institution has designated campus staff to interface with the department; (ii) the existence and
20extent of any campus-level hunger awareness programs, including notification to students of
21their rights to participate in federal and state food assistance programs; (iii) whether the
22institution has established on-campus meal vendors to accept available federal and state nutrition
23benefits; (iv) the existence or development of a student meal credit sharing program; (v) income
24based standards by which grant levels are determined according to the student population at each
25participating campus; and (vi) any other pertinent criteria as developed by the department. The
26department shall further develop and deliver technical assistance to assist eligible institutions of
27higher education to meet the goals of this program.
28 (b) Subject to appropriation, the department shall award grants to institutions that have
29met the guidelines and procedures established by the department. Upon recommendation by the
30director of the program, the 3 of 4
31 commissioner or a designee shall determine the amount of each grant which shall be used
32by the institution to address food insecurity among its students in accordance with the program
33and shall establish reporting guidelines for grant recipients.
34 (c) Annually, not later than July 1, the department shall submit a report on the hunger-
35free campus grant program for the preceding fiscal year to the governor, the clerks of the senate
36and house of representatives and the joint committee on higher education. The report shall
37include the number and amounts of grants to eligible institutions well as a comprehensive
38assessment of the program for the applicable year, including: (i) identifying the institutions
39participating in the program; (ii) describing the activities of participating campuses; (iii) the level
40of student engagement in activities; and (iv) the outcomes resulting from activities.
41 (d) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate
42fund to be known as the Hunger-Free Campus Trust Fund administered by the commissioner of
43higher education. The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other
44money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii)
45interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts,
46grants and donations. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation
47and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General
48Fund. Amounts credited to the fund shall be used to fund grants made pursuant to the program,
49and for the cost of administration of such program by the department of higher education.
50 (e) Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner shall report to the clerks of the
51senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on higher education and the house and
52senate committees on ways and means on the fund's activity including: (i) the source and amount 4 of 4
53of funds received; (ii) the amounts distributed and the purpose of expenditures from the fund;
54(iii) any grants provided to institutions of higher education and other stakeholder organizations;
55and (iv) anticipated revenue and expenditure projections for the next year.