1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to higher education; requiring refund of unused student meal plan balances;
1.3 requiring a report; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
1.4 135A.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [135A.196] REFUNDS FOR UNUSED MEAL PLAN BALANCES.
1.7 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
1.8the meanings given.
1.9 (b) "Higher education institution" means any public or private postsecondary institution
1.10that is physically located in Minnesota that offers meal plans to students and receives federal
1.11or state financial aid funds on behalf of students.
1.12 (c) "Meal plan" means a prepaid plan offered by a higher education institution that
1.13provides students with access to campus dining services, including but not limited to meal
1.14swipes, dining dollars, or other credit-based systems for purchasing food and beverages on
1.15campus.
1.16 (d) "Unused balance" refers to any remaining funds or meal credits on a student's meal
1.17plan account that have not been used by the student as of 30 days after the end of the spring
1.18academic term, or the withdrawal or matriculation of the student, including:
1.19 (1) the cash value of any prepaid dollar or dollar-equivalent balance; and
1.20 (2) the cash value of any unused meal vouchers.
1Section 1.
25-04073 as introduced03/14/25 REVISOR VH/MI
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 2816NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: CLARK and Duckworth)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading03/20/2025
Referred to Higher Education 2.1 (e) "Federal or state financial aid" means financial assistance provided to students through
2.2programs authorized under federal or Minnesota state law, including grants, scholarships,
2.3loans, or other monetary assistance intended to support educational expenses.
2.4 (f) "Refund" means the return of unused balances to the student in the form of a check,
2.5electronic deposit, or credit applied to the student's account in compliance with this section.
2.6 Subd. 2.Refund requirement.(a) Not more than 45 days following the end of the spring
2.7academic term, or the withdrawal or matriculation of a student, a higher education institution
2.8must:
2.9 (1) refund any unused balance to a student; or
2.10 (2) at the student's request, apply the unused balance to the next academic term if the
2.11student has not withdrawn or matriculated.
2.12 (b) The Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota is requested to comply with
2.13this section.
2.14 Subd. 3.Prohibition on meal plan fund forfeiture.A higher education institution must
2.15not require students to forfeit unused balance or impose restrictions on the use of meal plan
2.16funds that result in financial disadvantage to a student.
2.17 Subd. 4.Transparency and reporting.(a) A higher education institution must provide
2.18a student with regular updates on the student's meal plan balance.
2.19 (b) A higher education institution must annually report meal plan balance refund practices
2.20and the higher education institution's compliance with this section to the commissioner of
2.21the Office of Higher Education.
2Section 1.
25-04073 as introduced03/14/25 REVISOR VH/MI