As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 157
2025-2026
Representatives Brennan, Hoops
Cosponsors: Representatives Upchurch, Grim, McNally, Rogers, Piccolantonio,
Russo, Pizzulli
To enact section 3333.47 of the Revised Code to
enact the Hunger-Free Campus Act to establish
the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program and
designation and to make an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 3333.47 of the Revised Code be
enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 3333.47. (A) As used in this section, "qualifying
institution" means either of the following:
(1) A state institution of higher education, as defined in
section 3345.011 of the Revised Code;
(2) A private nonprofit institution of higher education
that holds a certificate of authorization pursuant to Chapter
1713. of the Revised Code.
(B) The chancellor of higher education shall establish and
administer the hunger-free campus grant program and designation.
The chancellor shall establish forms and procedures for
qualifying institutions to apply to participate in the program,
including to apply for a hunger-free campus designation and
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18 H. B. No. 157 Page 2
As Introduced
grants under the program. The chancellor shall determine how
often a participating institution must reapply to maintain its
designation.
(C) The chancellor shall determine the criteria to award a
hunger-free campus designation to a qualifying institution,
which may include the following:
(1) Having an established on-campus food pantry or a
partnership with a local food bank to provide regular, on-campus
food distributions;
(2) Providing information to students on the supplemental
nutrition assistance program, medicaid, and other programs that
reduce food insecurity;
(3) Having an established emergency assistance grant that
is available to students;
(4) Having an established student meal plan credit
donation program.
(D) The chancellor shall develop a logo that institutions
that have earned the hunger-free campus designation may display.
An institution that has not earned the hunger-free campus
designation under this section shall not display the logo
created under this division.
(E) Under the program, the chancellor shall develop a
method to determine the amount of a grant to be awarded to
qualifying institutions who apply for grants.
The chancellor shall award initial grants to qualifying
institutions that have not earned the hunger-free campus
designation and demonstrate a need for funding to meet the
designation requirements.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46 H. B. No. 157 Page 3
As Introduced
The chancellor shall award sustaining grants to qualifying
institutions that have earned the hunger-free campus designation
so that the institutions may leverage existing basic needs
infrastructure; maximize federal programs; build strategic
partnerships at the local, state, and national levels to address
food insecurity among students; raise awareness on available
resources to address basic food needs; and support the reduction
of student food insecurity in other ways, all as approved by the
chancellor.
The chancellor shall give preference to applications from
qualifying institutions with the highest percentage of enrolled
students eligible for the federal Pell grant. However, the
chancellor has discretion to give preference to applications
that demonstrate that an institution's plan for the grant will
have a greater impact on students experiencing food insecurity
than another applicant with a higher percentage of students
eligible for the federal Pell grant.
(F) The chancellor may adopt any rules necessary to
implement the provisions of this section.
(G) The chancellor shall allow grant recipients to use
grant funds flexibly to implement the goals of the program,
including giving recipients the ability to do all of the
following:
(1) Support emergency assistance;
(2) Hire staff to manage initiatives related to the
program;
(3) Use grant funds for operational activities related to
the program.
(H) No grant recipient shall reduce its existing funding
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75 H. B. No. 157 Page 4
As Introduced
designated for initiatives that address food insecurity with the
goal or net effect of shifting the cost burden of those
initiatives to the hunger-free campus grant program.
(I) A qualifying institution that receives a grant under
this section shall report to the chancellor information on how
the grant is used and its effects on food security on the
institution's campus after each academic year that the
institution receives the grant. The institution also shall
report to the chancellor its progress on working toward a
hunger-free campus designation.
(J) Notwithstanding any provision of section 121.95 of the
Revised Code to the contrary, a regulatory restriction contained
in a rule adopted under this section is not subject to sections
121.95 to 121.953 of the Revised Code.
Section 2. (A) Not later than the thirty-first day of
December two years after the establishment of the Hunger-Free
Campus Grant Program under section 3333.47 of the Revised Code,
the Chancellor of Higher Education shall prepare a report on the
grant program that compiles the reports submitted by each
institution of higher education that received a Hunger-Free
Campus Grant under the program.
(B) The Chancellor shall submit the report to the Governor
and, in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code, the
General Assembly.
Section 3. All items in this act are hereby appropriated
as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the
credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations
made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year
2026 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2027.
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104 H. B. No. 157 Page 5
As Introduced
The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to
any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years.
Section 4.
1 2 3 4 5
A BOR DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
BGeneral Revenue Fund
CGRF235498Hunger-Free Campus Grant
Program
$625,000 $625,000
DTOTAL GRF General Revenue Fund $625,000 $625,000
ETOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS $625,000 $625,000
HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS GRANT PROGRAM
The foregoing appropriation item 235498, Hunger-Free
Campus Grant Program, shall be used by the Chancellor of Higher
Education to support the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program and
hunger-free campus designations pursuant to section 3333.47 of
the Revised Code.
Section 5. Within the limits set forth in this act, the
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation
made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from
operating appropriations contained in this act shall be
accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all
applicable provisions of, the main operating appropriations act
of the 136th General Assembly.
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123 H. B. No. 157 Page 6
As Introduced
Section 6. This act shall be known as the Hunger-Free
Campus Act.
124
125