HOUSE BILL NO. 4520

A bill to create a program to designate certain campuses at institutions of higher education in this state as hunger-free campuses; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities; and to authorize the promulgation of rules.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "hunger-free campus act".

Sec. 2. As used in this act:

(a) "Department" means the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential.

(b) "Hunger-free campus program" or "program" means the hunger-free campus program created in section 3.

(c) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means either of the following:

(i) A degree- or certificate-granting public or private college or university, junior college, or community college in this state.

(ii) A federally recognized tribal college in this state.

Sec. 3. (1) The hunger-free campus program is created in the department. The purposes of the program include all of the following:

(a) Address student hunger at institutions of higher education.

(b) Leverage sustainable solutions to address basic needs on the campuses of institutions of higher education.

(c) Raise awareness of basic-needs services offered on the campuses of institutions of higher education.

(d) Build strategic partnerships at the local, state, and national levels to address food insecurity among students attending institutions of higher education.

(e) Reduce barriers to student achievement resulting from basic needs insecurity.

(2) The department shall do all of the following:

(a) Designate as a hunger-free campus each campus of an institution of higher education that meets all of the following:

(i) Establishes a hunger task force that includes representatives from the student body and campus administration that meets at least 3 times per academic year to set at least 2 goals with action plans.

(ii) Designates a staff member responsible for informing students about enrollment opportunities in this state's supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and other assistance programs offered by the department of health and human services.

(iii) Provides options for students to utilize SNAP EBT benefits at campus stores or provides students with information on establishments in the surrounding area of campus where they can utilize SNAP EBT benefits.

(iv) Holds, participates in, or promotes at least 1 hunger awareness event per academic year.

(v) Provides at least 1 physical food pantry on campus or enables students to receive food through a separate, stigma-free arrangement. A campus may partner with a local food bank or food pantry to meet this requirement.

(vi) Develops a student meal credit donation program or designates a certain amount of funds for free food vouchers that might otherwise be raised through such a program. Each institution of higher education may develop its own procedures for a meal donation program.

(vii) Every academic year conducts a student survey on hunger, developed by the department, that is formulated by using best practices from the Trellis Research Student Financial Wellness Survey. Each institution must submit the results of the survey to the department at a time prescribed by the department for inclusion in a comparative profile of each campus designated as a hunger-free campus.

(b) Promulgate rules, as the department may consider necessary, to implement this act under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.