Amendment #920 to H4000

Hunger Free Campus Initiative

Representatives Vargas of Haverhill, Domb of Amherst and Arena-DeRosa of Holliston move to amend the bill, in Section 2, by inserting after 7066-0019 the following item: 

“7066-XXXX For the department of higher education to support a hunger-free campus initiative in order to address food insecurity at 2- and 4-year public institutions of higher learning and minority-serving institutions as defined by the United States Department of Education; provided, that the department is authorized to award grants to campuses that maximize student enrollment in federal nutrition benefit programs, promote on-campus grocers that accept nutrition program benefits, increase access to available meal cards and meal swipe options where feasible, maximize student access to on-campus or area food pantries in collaboration with regional food banks and support other campus-designed projects to address college student food insecurity; provided further, that the department shall issue a request for proposal through which colleges may apply, and award the program’s resources based on the demonstrated need and a proposed implementation plan submitted by each applicant; provided further, within 45 days following enactment, the department shall issue a request for proposals to eligible public institutions, and within 90 days following enactment, the department shall submit to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on higher education and the clerks of the house of representatives and senate a report with a list of grantees and the grant amount distributed to each; provided further that funding for the grant program may include, but not be limited to, appropriations from the Education and Transportation Fund established in section 2BBBBBB of chapter 29..................... $2,000,000

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #920 to H4000

Hunger Free Campus Initiative