Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4571 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R10616 MM-D
2	2	By: Bucy, Talarico, Kuempel, Garcia, et al. H.B. No. 4571
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to measures to address student hunger at postsecondary
8	8	educational institutions.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 51.9231 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 51.9231. FOOD VENDOR CONTRACT REQUIREMENT. (a) In
13	13	this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning
14	14	assigned by Section 61.003.
15	15	(b) A contract entered into by an institution of higher
16	16	education with a person for the person to sell or otherwise provide
17	17	food on the institution's campus must require the person, if
18	18	eligible, to seek authorization to become a retailer and accept
19	19	benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under
20	20	Chapter 33, Human Resources Code.
21	21	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
22	22	amended by adding Section 61.0763 to read as follows:
23	23	Sec. 61.0763. HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS PROGRAM. (a) The board
24	24	shall establish and administer a hunger-free campus program to
25	25	support institutions of higher education in establishing essential
26	26	and sustainable solutions to hunger at institution campuses in this
27	27	state. The solutions must include:
28	28	(1) allowing students to donate meal credits from the
29	29	student's meal plan to be distributed to peers who may be facing
30	30	food insecurity;
31	31	(2) establishing food pantries on campus; and
32	32	(3) developing, in collaboration with the Health and
33	33	Human Services Commission, capacity-building strategies for
34	34	increasing student enrollment in the supplemental nutrition
35	35	assistance program.
36	36	(b) The board shall establish criteria under which the board
37	37	may designate a campus of an institution of higher education as a
38	38	Hunger-Free Campus if the campus applies and meets the
39	39	qualifications.
40	40	(c) The board may establish a task force to develop best
41	41	practices guidelines for addressing student hunger on the campuses
42	42	of institutions of higher education, including methods for
43	43	implementing the solutions to hunger described by Subsection (a).
44	44	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code,
45	45	is amended by adding Section 33.020 to read as follows:
46	46	Sec. 33.020. SNAP ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED
47	47	IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) In this section,
48	48	"postsecondary educational institution" includes:
49	49	(1) an institution of higher education or a private or
50	50	independent institution of higher education as defined by Section
51	51	61.003, Education Code; and
52	52	(2) a career school or college as defined by Section
53	53	132.001, Education Code.
54	54	(b) The commission shall, as authorized under 7 U.S.C.
55	55	Section 2015(o)(6), provide an exemption from work requirements to
56	56	provide supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits to an
57	57	individual who is:
58	58	(1) ineligible to receive supplemental nutrition
59	59	assistance program benefits based solely on the work requirements;
60	60	and
61	61	(2) enrolled as a student in a postsecondary
62	62	educational institution.
63	63	(c) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to
64	64	implement this section, including rules that ensure a student
65	65	remains eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance benefits
66	66	during a break in the semester or academic term of the postsecondary
67	67	educational institution in which the student is enrolled.
68	68	SECTION 4. Section 51.9231, Education Code, as added by
69	69	this Act, applies only to a contract entered into on or after the
70	70	effective date of this Act. A contract entered into before the
71	71	effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
72	72	date the contract was entered into, and the former law is continued
73	73	in effect for that purpose.
74	74	SECTION 5. Not later than December 31, 2024, the executive
75	75	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
76	76	adopt the rules necessary to implement Section 33.020, Human
77	77	Resources Code, as added by this Act.
78	78	SECTION 6. Section 33.020, Human Resources Code, as added
79	79	by this Act, applies only to an initial determination or
80	80	recertification of eligibility for the supplemental nutrition
81	81	assistance program under Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, that is
82	82	made on or after the effective date of this Act. A determination or
83	83	recertification made before the effective date of this Act is
84	84	governed by the law in effect on the date the determination or
85	85	recertification was made, and the former law is continued in effect
86	86	for that purpose.
87	87	SECTION 7. If before implementing any provision of this Act
88	88	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
89	89	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
90	90	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
91	91	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
92	92	waiver or authorization is granted.
93	93	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.