| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW . | |
| 4 | 4 | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. | |
| 5 | - | Underlining indicates amendments to bill. | |
| 6 | - | Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by | |
| 7 | - | amendment. | |
| 8 | 5 | *sb0789* | |
| 9 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 7 | SENATE BILL 789 | |
| 11 | 8 | F2 5lr2158 | |
| 12 | 9 | ||
| 13 | - | By: Senator M. Washington Senators M. Washington, Attar, Augustine, and | |
| 14 | - | Brooks | |
| 10 | + | By: Senator M. Washington | |
| 15 | 11 | Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025 | |
| 16 | 12 | Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment | |
| 17 | - | Committee Report: Favorable with amendments | |
| 18 | - | Senate action: Adopted | |
| 19 | - | Read second time: February 24, 2025 | |
| 20 | 13 | ||
| 21 | - | ||
| 14 | + | A BILL ENTITLED | |
| 22 | 15 | ||
| 23 | 16 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 24 | 17 | ||
| 25 | 18 | Higher Education – Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program – Alterations 2 | |
| 26 | 19 | ||
| 27 | 20 | FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to designate 3 | |
| 28 | 21 | certain private institutions of higher education as hunger–free campuses; 4 | |
| 29 | 22 | prohibiting certain private institutions of higher education from being eligible to 5 | |
| 30 | 23 | receive grant funding under the Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program; altering the 6 | |
| 31 | 24 | requirement of the Governor, beginning in a certain fiscal year, to include in the 7 | |
| 32 | 25 | annual budget bill a certain appropriation for the Program; and generally relating 8 | |
| 33 | 26 | to alterations to the Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program. 9 | |
| 34 | 27 | ||
| 35 | 28 | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10 | |
| 36 | 29 | Article – Education 11 | |
| 37 | - | Section 11–1701 and 11–1703 through 11–1706 | |
| 30 | + | Section 11–1701 and 11–1703 through 11–1706 12 | |
| 38 | 31 | Annotated Code of Maryland 13 | |
| 39 | 32 | (2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14 | |
| 40 | 33 | ||
| 41 | 34 | BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15 | |
| 42 | 35 | Article – Education 16 | |
| 43 | - | Section 11–1702 | |
| 36 | + | Section 11–1702 17 | |
| 44 | 37 | Annotated Code of Maryland 18 | |
| 45 | 38 | (2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19 | |
| 46 | 39 | ||
| 47 | 40 | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20 | |
| 48 | - | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21 2 SENATE BILL 789 | |
| 41 | + | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21 | |
| 42 | + | ||
| 43 | + | Article – Education 22 | |
| 44 | + | ||
| 45 | + | 11–1701. 23 | |
| 46 | + | ||
| 47 | + | (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 24 | |
| 48 | + | 2 SENATE BILL 789 | |
| 49 | + | ||
| 50 | + | ||
| 51 | + | (b) “Emergency assistance” means immediate direct assistance provided by a 1 | |
| 52 | + | hunger–free campus to any student facing an unanticipated financial crisis or hardship. 2 | |
| 53 | + | ||
| 54 | + | (c) “Hunger–free campus” means a campus of any 4–year [public] institution of 3 | |
| 55 | + | higher education or regional higher education center that meets the requirements of § 4 | |
| 56 | + | 11–1703(a) of this subtitle or any 2–year [public] institution of higher education that meets 5 | |
| 57 | + | the requirements of § 11–1703(b) of this subtitle. 6 | |
| 58 | + | ||
| 59 | + | (d) “Program” means the Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program. 7 | |
| 60 | + | ||
| 61 | + | 11–1702. 8 | |
| 62 | + | ||
| 63 | + | (a) There is a Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program. 9 | |
| 64 | + | ||
| 65 | + | (b) The purpose of the Program is to: 10 | |
| 66 | + | ||
| 67 | + | (1) Address student hunger; 11 | |
| 68 | + | ||
| 69 | + | (2) Leverage more sustainable solutions to address basic food needs on 12 | |
| 70 | + | campus; 13 | |
| 71 | + | ||
| 72 | + | (3) Raise awareness of services currently offered on campus that address 14 | |
| 73 | + | basic food needs; and 15 | |
| 74 | + | ||
| 75 | + | (4) Build strategic partnerships at the local, State, and national levels to 16 | |
| 76 | + | address food insecurity among students. 17 | |
| 77 | + | ||
| 78 | + | (c) (1) The Commission shall administer the Program. 18 | |
| 79 | + | ||
| 80 | + | (2) The Commission shall develop the form to be used for the annual 19 | |
| 81 | + | student survey required under § 11–1703 of this subtitle. 20 | |
| 82 | + | ||
| 83 | + | 11–1703. 21 | |
| 84 | + | ||
| 85 | + | (a) The Commission shall designate as a hunger–free campus any campus of a 22 | |
| 86 | + | 4–year [public] institution of higher education or regional higher education center that: 23 | |
| 87 | + | ||
| 88 | + | (1) Has established a hunger task force that: 24 | |
| 89 | + | ||
| 90 | + | (i) Meets at least three times per academic year; and 25 | |
| 91 | + | ||
| 92 | + | (ii) Sets at least two goals with action plans; 26 | |
| 93 | + | ||
| 94 | + | (2) Has designated a staff member responsible for: 27 | |
| 95 | + | ||
| 96 | + | (i) Assisting students in enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition 28 | |
| 97 | + | Assistance Program; or 29 SENATE BILL 789 3 | |
| 49 | 98 | ||
| 50 | 99 | ||
| 51 | 100 | ||
| 52 | - | Article – Education 1 | |
| 101 | + | (ii) Connecting students with available Supplemental Nutrition 1 | |
| 102 | + | Assistance Program outreach partners that can assist students in enrolling in the 2 | |
| 103 | + | Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; 3 | |
| 53 | 104 | ||
| 54 | - | 11–1701. 2 | |
| 105 | + | (3) Has designated a staff member responsible for informing students 4 | |
| 106 | + | participating in federal work–study programs that they are eligible for the Supplemental 5 | |
| 107 | + | Nutrition Assistance Program; 6 | |
| 55 | 108 | ||
| 56 | - | (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 3 | |
| 109 | + | (4) (i) Provides options for students to utilize Supplemental Nutrition 7 | |
| 110 | + | Assistance Program benefits at campus retailers; or 8 | |
| 57 | 111 | ||
| 58 | - | ( | |
| 59 | - | ||
| 112 | + | (ii) Provides students with information on the names and locations 9 | |
| 113 | + | of off–campus retailers that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits; 10 | |
| 60 | 114 | ||
| 61 | - | (c) “Hunger–free campus” means a campus of any 4–year [public] institution of 6 | |
| 62 | - | higher education or regional higher education center that meets the requirements of § 7 | |
| 63 | - | 11–1703(a) of this subtitle or any 2–year [public] institution of higher education that meets 8 | |
| 64 | - | the requirements of § 11–1703(b) of this subtitle. 9 | |
| 115 | + | (5) Participates in an awareness day campaign activity and plans at least 11 | |
| 116 | + | one campus awareness event during the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness 12 | |
| 117 | + | Week; 13 | |
| 65 | 118 | ||
| 66 | - | (d) “Program” means the Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program. 10 | |
| 119 | + | (6) Provides at least one food pantry on campus, or enables students in 14 | |
| 120 | + | need to receive food through a separate, stigma–free arrangement; 15 | |
| 67 | 121 | ||
| 68 | - | 11–1702. 11 | |
| 122 | + | (7) Develops and maintains a meal–sharing program that allows students 16 | |
| 123 | + | to donate their unused meal plan credits to be distributed to students in need for use in 17 | |
| 124 | + | campus dining halls or at an on–campus food pantry, if applicable; 18 | |
| 69 | 125 | ||
| 70 | - | (a) There is a Hunger–Free Campus Grant Program. 12 | |
| 126 | + | (8) Conducts a standardized annual student survey on hunger and submits 19 | |
| 127 | + | the results to the Commission; and 20 | |
| 71 | 128 | ||
| 72 | - | (b) The purpose of the Program is to: 13 | |
| 129 | + | (9) Submits an annual report detailing its efforts to address student 21 | |
| 130 | + | hunger to the Commission. 22 | |
| 73 | 131 | ||
| 74 | - | (1) Address student hunger; 14 | |
| 132 | + | (b) The Commission shall designate as a hunger–free campus any campus of a 23 | |
| 133 | + | 2–year [public] institution of higher education that meets all of the requirements for 24 | |
| 134 | + | 4–year [public] institutions of higher education or regional higher education centers 25 | |
| 135 | + | identified in subsection (a) of this section, with the exception of the requirements in 26 | |
| 136 | + | subsection (a)(4) and (7) of this section. 27 | |
| 75 | 137 | ||
| 76 | - | ( | |
| 77 | - | ||
| 138 | + | (c) (1) Each 4–year [public] institution of higher education may develop its 28 | |
| 139 | + | own procedures for a meal–sharing program. 29 | |
| 78 | 140 | ||
| 79 | - | ( | |
| 80 | - | ||
| 141 | + | (2) The 4–year [public] institutions of higher education shall make 30 | |
| 142 | + | information about the meal–sharing program publicly available, including: 31 | |
| 81 | 143 | ||
| 82 | - | ( | |
| 83 | - | ||
| 144 | + | (i) How a student may donate unused meal plan credits; 32 | |
| 145 | + | 4 SENATE BILL 789 | |
| 84 | 146 | ||
| 85 | - | (c) (1) The Commission shall administer the Program. 21 | |
| 86 | 147 | ||
| 87 | - | ( | |
| 88 | - | ||
| 148 | + | (ii) How a student in need may apply to receive donated meal plan 1 | |
| 149 | + | credits; and 2 | |
| 89 | 150 | ||
| 90 | - | 11–1703. 24 | |
| 151 | + | (iii) The methodology that a 4–year [public] institution of higher 3 | |
| 152 | + | education uses to ensure that unused donated meal plan credits are used to purchase food 4 | |
| 153 | + | to support an on–campus food pantry, if applicable. 5 | |
| 91 | 154 | ||
| 92 | - | (a) The Commission shall designate as a hunger–free campus any campus of a 25 | |
| 93 | - | 4–year [public] institution of higher education or regional higher education center that: 26 | |
| 155 | + | 11–1704. 6 | |
| 94 | 156 | ||
| 95 | - | (1) Has established a hunger task force that: 27 | |
| 157 | + | (A) For fiscal [year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter] YEARS 2023 THROUGH 7 | |
| 158 | + | 2026, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $150,000 8 | |
| 159 | + | for the Program. 9 | |
| 96 | 160 | ||
| 97 | - | (i) Meets at least three times per academic year; and 28 SENATE BILL 789 3 | |
| 161 | + | (B) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 10 | |
| 162 | + | GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATIO N OF 11 | |
| 163 | + | $250,000 FOR THE PROGRAM. 12 | |
| 164 | + | ||
| 165 | + | 11–1705. 13 | |
| 166 | + | ||
| 167 | + | (a) (1) The Commission shall allocate grant funding to any 4–year or 2–year 14 | |
| 168 | + | public institution of higher education or regional higher education center that: 15 | |
| 169 | + | ||
| 170 | + | [(1)] (I) Pledges a matching contribution to be used to implement the 16 | |
| 171 | + | goals of the Program; and 17 | |
| 172 | + | ||
| 173 | + | [(2)] (II) Is designated as a hunger–free campus. 18 | |
| 174 | + | ||
| 175 | + | (2) NOTWITHSTANDING DESIGNATION AS A HUNGER–FREE CAMPUS 19 | |
| 176 | + | UNDER THIS SUBTITLE, A 4–YEAR OR 2–YEAR PRIVATE INSTITU TION OF HIGHER 20 | |
| 177 | + | EDUCATION OR A REGIONAL HIGHER EDUC ATION CENTER OPERATED BY A PRIVATE 21 | |
| 178 | + | NONPROFIT INSTITUTIO N OF HIGHER EDUCATIO N IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO R ECEIVE 22 | |
| 179 | + | GRANT FUNDING UNDER THE PROGRAM. 23 | |
| 180 | + | ||
| 181 | + | (b) The Commission shall determine the amount of each grant. 24 | |
| 182 | + | ||
| 183 | + | (c) The Commission shall incorporate into the 2026–2030 State Plan for Higher 25 | |
| 184 | + | Education a plan for addressing any basic needs insecurity of higher education students. 26 | |
| 185 | + | ||
| 186 | + | (d) (1) The Commission shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out the 27 | |
| 187 | + | requirements of this subtitle. 28 | |
| 188 | + | ||
| 189 | + | (2) The regulations adopted under this subsection shall allow grant 29 | |
| 190 | + | recipients to use grant funds flexibly to implement the goals of the Program, including 30 | |
| 191 | + | giving recipients the ability to: 31 | |
| 192 | + | ||
| 193 | + | (i) Support emergency assistance; 32 SENATE BILL 789 5 | |
| 98 | 194 | ||
| 99 | 195 | ||
| 100 | 196 | ||
| 101 | - | (ii) | |
| 197 | + | (ii) Hire staff to manage initiatives related to the Program; and 1 | |
| 102 | 198 | ||
| 103 | - | ( | |
| 199 | + | (iii) Use grant funds for operational activities related to the Program. 2 | |
| 104 | 200 | ||
| 105 | - | (i) Assisting students in enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition 3 | |
| 106 | - | Assistance Program; or 4 | |
| 201 | + | 11–1706. 3 | |
| 107 | 202 | ||
| 108 | - | ( | |
| 109 | - | ||
| 110 | - | ||
| 203 | + | (a) Not later than 2 years after establishing the Program, the Commission shall 4 | |
| 204 | + | report to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, 5 | |
| 205 | + | the General Assembly on the implementation of this subtitle. 6 | |
| 111 | 206 | ||
| 112 | - | (3) Has designated a staff member responsible for informing students 8 | |
| 113 | - | participating in federal work–study programs that they are eligible for the Supplemental 9 | |
| 114 | - | Nutrition Assistance Program; 10 | |
| 207 | + | (b) The report shall include: 7 | |
| 115 | 208 | ||
| 116 | - | (4) (i) Provides options for students to utilize Supplemental Nutrition 11 | |
| 117 | - | Assistance Program benefits at campus retailers; or 12 | |
| 209 | + | (1) The number and amounts of grants awarded; 8 | |
| 118 | 210 | ||
| 119 | - | ( | |
| 120 | - | of | |
| 211 | + | (2) The impact of the Program on establishing hunger–free campuses at 9 | |
| 212 | + | [public] institutions of higher education and regional higher education centers; 10 | |
| 121 | 213 | ||
| 122 | - | (5) Participates in an awareness day campaign activity and plans at least 15 | |
| 123 | - | one campus awareness event during the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness 16 | |
| 124 | - | Week; 17 | |
| 214 | + | (3) The impact of awarded grants on reducing the number of students 11 | |
| 215 | + | experiencing food insecurity; and 12 | |
| 125 | 216 | ||
| 126 | - | (6) Provides at least one food pantry on campus, or enables students in 18 | |
| 127 | - | need to receive food through a separate, stigma–free arrangement; 19 | |
| 217 | + | (4) Recommendations on expanding the Program. 13 | |
| 128 | 218 | ||
| 129 | - | (7) Develops and maintains a meal–sharing program that allows students 20 | |
| 130 | - | to donate their unused meal plan credits to be distributed to students in need for use in 21 | |
| 131 | - | campus dining halls or at an on–campus food pantry, if applicable; 22 | |
| 219 | + | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14 | |
| 220 | + | 1, 2025. 15 | |
| 132 | 221 | ||
| 133 | - | (8) Conducts a standardized annual student survey on hunger and submits 23 | |
| 134 | - | the results to the Commission; and 24 | |
| 135 | - | ||
| 136 | - | (9) Submits an annual report detailing its efforts to address student 25 | |
| 137 | - | hunger to the Commission. 26 | |
| 138 | - | ||
| 139 | - | (b) The Commission shall designate as a hunger–free campus any campus of a 27 | |
| 140 | - | 2–year [public] institution of higher education that meets all of the requirements for 28 | |
| 141 | - | 4–year [public] institutions of higher education or regional higher education centers 29 | |
| 142 | - | identified in subsection (a) of this section, with the exception of the requirements in 30 | |
| 143 | - | subsection (a)(4) and (7) of this section. 31 | |
| 144 | - | ||
| 145 | - | (c) (1) Each 4–year [public] institution of higher education may develop its 32 | |
| 146 | - | own procedures for a meal–sharing program. 33 4 SENATE BILL 789 | |
| 147 | - | ||
| 148 | - | ||
| 149 | - | ||
| 150 | - | (2) The 4–year [public] institutions of higher education shall make 1 | |
| 151 | - | information about the meal–sharing program publicly available, including: 2 | |
| 152 | - | ||
| 153 | - | (i) How a student may donate unused meal plan credits; 3 | |
| 154 | - | ||
| 155 | - | (ii) How a student in need may apply to receive donated meal plan 4 | |
| 156 | - | credits; and 5 | |
| 157 | - | ||
| 158 | - | (iii) The methodology that a 4–year [public] institution of higher 6 | |
| 159 | - | education uses to ensure that unused donated meal plan credits are used to purchase food 7 | |
| 160 | - | to support an on–campus food pantry, if applicable. 8 | |
| 161 | - | ||
| 162 | - | 11–1704. 9 | |
| 163 | - | ||
| 164 | - | (A) For fiscal [year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter] YEARS 2023 THROUGH 10 | |
| 165 | - | 2026, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $150,000 11 | |
| 166 | - | for the Program. 12 | |
| 167 | - | ||
| 168 | - | (B) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 13 | |
| 169 | - | GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 14 | |
| 170 | - | $250,000 FOR THE PROGRAM. 15 | |
| 171 | - | ||
| 172 | - | 11–1705. 16 | |
| 173 | - | ||
| 174 | - | (a) (1) The Commission shall allocate grant funding to any 4–year or 2–year 17 | |
| 175 | - | public institution of higher education or regional higher education center that: 18 | |
| 176 | - | ||
| 177 | - | [(1)] (I) Pledges a matching contribution to be used to implement the 19 | |
| 178 | - | goals of the Program; and 20 | |
| 179 | - | ||
| 180 | - | [(2)] (II) Is designated as a hunger–free campus. 21 | |
| 181 | - | ||
| 182 | - | (2) NOTWITHSTANDING DESIG NATION AS A HUNGER –FREE CAMPUS 22 | |
| 183 | - | UNDER THIS SUBTITLE , A 4–YEAR OR 2–YEAR PRIVATE INSTITU TION OF HIGHER 23 | |
| 184 | - | EDUCATION OR A REGIO NAL HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER OPERATED BY A PRIVATE 24 | |
| 185 | - | NONPROFIT INSTITUTIO N OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS NOT ELI GIBLE TO RECEIVE 25 | |
| 186 | - | GRANT FUNDING UNDER THE PROGRAM. 26 | |
| 187 | - | ||
| 188 | - | (b) The Commission shall determine the amount of each grant. 27 | |
| 189 | - | ||
| 190 | - | (c) The Commission shall incorporate into the 2026–2030 State Plan for Higher 28 | |
| 191 | - | Education a plan for addressing any basic needs insecurity of higher education students. 29 | |
| 192 | - | ||
| 193 | - | (d) (1) The Commission shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out the 30 | |
| 194 | - | requirements of this subtitle. 31 SENATE BILL 789 5 | |
| 195 | - | ||
| 196 | - | ||
| 197 | - | ||
| 198 | - | (2) The regulations adopted under this subsection shall allow grant 1 | |
| 199 | - | recipients to use grant funds flexibly to implement the goals of the Program, including 2 | |
| 200 | - | giving recipients the ability to: 3 | |
| 201 | - | ||
| 202 | - | (i) Support emergency assistance; 4 | |
| 203 | - | ||
| 204 | - | (ii) Hire staff to manage initiatives related to the Program; and 5 | |
| 205 | - | ||
| 206 | - | (iii) Use grant funds for operational activities related to the Program. 6 | |
| 207 | - | ||
| 208 | - | 11–1706. 7 | |
| 209 | - | ||
| 210 | - | (a) Not later than 2 years after establishing the Program, the Commission shall 8 | |
| 211 | - | report to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, 9 | |
| 212 | - | the General Assembly on the implementation of this subtitle. 10 | |
| 213 | - | ||
| 214 | - | (b) The report shall include: 11 | |
| 215 | - | ||
| 216 | - | (1) The number and amounts of grants awarded; 12 | |
| 217 | - | ||
| 218 | - | (2) The impact of the Program on establishing hunger–free campuses at 13 | |
| 219 | - | [public] institutions of higher education and regional higher education centers; 14 | |
| 220 | - | ||
| 221 | - | (3) The impact of awarded grants on reducing the number of students 15 | |
| 222 | - | experiencing food insecurity; and 16 | |
| 223 | - | ||
| 224 | - | (4) Recommendations on expanding the Program. 17 | |
| 225 | - | ||
| 226 | - | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18 | |
| 227 | - | 1, 2025. 19 | |
| 228 | - | ||
| 229 | - | ||
| 230 | - | ||
| 231 | - | ||
| 232 | - | Approved: | |
| 233 | - | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 234 | - | Governor. | |
| 235 | - | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 236 | - | President of the Senate. | |
| 237 | - | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 238 | - | Speaker of the House of Delegates. |