Assembly Bill A1724

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1724
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL,  CLARK, SIMON, BICHOTTE HERMELYN,
   GONZALEZ-ROJAS,  KELLES,  EPSTEIN,  LUPARDO,  CRUZ,  FORREST,  EACHUS,
   SEAWRIGHT,  RAGA, WEPRIN, SHIMSKY, ANDERSON, CUNNINGHAM, BORES -- read
   once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
   "hunger-free campus act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited  as  the  "hunger-
 free campus act".
   §  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to read
 as follows:
   § 319. HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS GRANT PROGRAM.  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL
 ESTABLISH  THE HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS GRANT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION
 AND REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER ADOPTED FOR SUCH PURPOSE. WITHIN THE
 AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR THIS  PURPOSE,  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  AWARD
 GRANTS  ON  A COMPETITIVE BASIS TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCA-
 TION WHICH HAVE ONE OR MORE CAMPUSES THAT ARE DESIGNATED BY THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER AS HUNGER-FREE CAMPUSES.
   2. THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT FUNDING SHALL BE TO:
   A. ADDRESS STUDENT HUNGER;
   B.  LEVERAGE MORE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS BASIC FOOD NEEDS ON
 CAMPUS;
   C. RAISE AWARENESS OF  SERVICES  CURRENTLY  OFFERED  ON  CAMPUS  WHICH
 ADDRESS BASIC NEEDS; AND
   D.  CONTINUE  TO BUILD STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND
 NATIONAL LEVELS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AMONG STUDENTS.
   3. A. FOR AN INSTITUTION TO BE DESIGNATED  AS  A  HUNGER-FREE  CAMPUS,
 SUCH INSTITUTION SHALL:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04226-01-5
 A. 1724                             2
 
              

   (I)  ESTABLISH  A  HUNGER  TASK FORCE WHICH INCLUDES STUDENT REPRESEN-
 TATIVES FROM THE STUDENT BODY THAT MEETS A MINIMUM OF  THREE  TIMES  PER
 ACADEMIC YEAR TO SET AT LEAST TWO GOALS WITH ACTION PLANS;
   (II)  DESIGNATE A STAFF MEMBER RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH
 ENROLLMENT IN THE  STATE'S  SUPPLEMENTAL  NUTRITION  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM
 (SNAP);
   (III)  INSTITUTE  A  SYSTEM  OF  EDUCATING  THE STUDENT BODY ABOUT THE
 STATE'S SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THIS MAY INCLUDE, BUT
 IS NOT LIMITED TO, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT SNAP IN ALL FINANCIAL AID
 INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT SNAP IN NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
 MATERIALS, INCLUDING SNAP INFORMATION ON CLASS SYLLABI, POSTING INFORMA-
 TION ABOUT SNAP IN ALL ON-CAMPUS HOUSING;
   (IV) PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS TO UTILIZE SNAP BENEFITS  AT  CAMPUS
 STORES  OR  PROVIDE  STUDENTS  WITH INFORMATION ON ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE
 SURROUNDING AREA OF CAMPUS WHERE THEY CAN UTILIZE SNAP EBT BENEFITS;
   (V) HOLD AN AWARENESS  DAY  CAMPAIGN  ACTIVITY  OR  EVENT  DURING  THE
 NATIONAL  HUNGER  AND  HOMELESSNESS  AWARENESS  WEEK  THAT INCLUDES SNAP
 OUTREACH AND APPLICATION ASSISTANCE;
   (VI) PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE PHYSICAL FOOD PANTRY ON  CAMPUS,  OR  ENABLE
 STUDENTS  TO  RECEIVE  FOOD THROUGH A SEPARATE, STIGMA-FREE ARRANGEMENT.
 SUCH CAMPUS MAY PARTNER WITH A LOCAL FOOD BANK OR FOOD  PANTRY  TO  MEET
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH;
   (VII)  DEVELOP  A STUDENT MEAL CREDIT DONATION PROGRAM, OR DESIGNATE A
 CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUNDS FOR FREE FOOD VOUCHERS OR GIFT CARDS THAT CAN BE
 USED AT CAMPUS STORES, EATERIES OR LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS.  EACH  INSTITU-
 TION  OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION  MAY  DEVELOP  ITS OWN PROCEDURES FOR A MEAL
 DONATION PROGRAM; AND
   (VIII) ANNUALLY CONDUCT OR PARTICIPATE IN A STUDENT SURVEY  ON  HUNGER
 AND  SUBMIT  THE  RESULTS  OF  THE  SURVEY TO THE COMMISSIONER AT A TIME
 PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR INCLUSION IN A COMPARATIVE PROFILE OF
 EACH CAMPUS DESIGNATED AS A HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS.
   4. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ALLOCATE GRANT FUNDING TO EACH PUBLIC INSTI-
 TUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT HAS ONE OR MORE CAMPUSES  DESIGNATED  BY
 THE COMMISSIONER AS A HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA
 ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION. THE COMMIS-
 SIONER SHALL UTILIZE THE HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS FUNDING FORMULA TO DETERMINE
 THE AMOUNT OF EACH GRANT WHICH SHALL  BE  USED  BY  THE  INSTITUTION  TO
 FURTHER  ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AMONG STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE INSTITU-
 TION.  THE COMMISSIONER OR SUCH COMMISSIONER'S DESIGNEE SHALL PRIORITIZE
 GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH THE  HIGHEST  PERCENTAGE
 OF  PELL GRANT ELIGIBLE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE STUDENT BODY. FOLLOWING
 THE AWARDING OF SUCH GRANT  FUNDING,  RECIPIENTS  WILL  BE  EXPECTED  TO
 PROVIDE  BASIC INFORMATION TO THE DEPARTMENT ON HOW SUCH GRANT AWARD WAS
 USED, ITS DELIVERABLES AND OUTCOMES.
   5. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE  TEMPO-
 RARY  PRESIDENT  OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, NO LATER
 THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HUNGER-FREE  CAMPUS  GRANT
 PROGRAM. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE NUMBER AND
 AMOUNTS  OF THE GRANT AWARDS, EXAMPLES OF HOW STUDENTS WERE SUPPORTED BY
 THE PROGRAM AND HOW THIS FUNDING HELPED THEM  CONTINUE  THEIR  EDUCATION
 THROUGH  TO COMPLETION, EXAMPLES OF THE IMPACT THE GRANT PROGRAM HAS HAD
 ON ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL HUNGER-FREE CAMPUSES AT  PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS
 OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION  AND  REDUCING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCING
 FOOD INSECURITY, AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL  ESTABLISH-
 MENT OF AN ANNUAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.