Subcommittee refers SB 97 (hunger-free campus grants) to appropriations after patron’s presentation

Senator Roem, the patron present in the room, told the subcommittee that SB 97 renames the "hunger free campus food pantry grant program" to the "hunger free campus grant program," expands eligibility to public and qualifying private higher-education institutions that maintain on-campus food pantries, and establishes a voluntary meal credit sharing program allowing students to donate unused meal plan credits for use by other students or to support campus food pantries.

Roem said the bill specifies that grant funds must be used to support campus efforts to reduce student food insecurity by operating and maintaining both food pantries and the meal credit sharing program. She also said clarifying amendment language was added so schools without a meal swipe program would not be impacted.

After the presentation, the chair noted that fiscal information received from higher-education institutions required the bill to go to appropriations for review. Operating by motion, the subcommittee reported SB 97 and referred it to appropriations on a vote of 8 to 1.

The referral places the measure before the appropriations committee for fiscal review; no public testimony was recorded during this meeting.