Bill Text: TX HB4571 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to measures to address student hunger at postsecondary educational institutions.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-10 - Referred to s/c on Higher Education by Pres [HB4571 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4571-Engrossed.html
| 88R10616 MM-D | ||
| By: Bucy, Talarico, Kuempel, Garcia, et al. | H.B. No. 4571 | |
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| relating to measures to address student hunger at postsecondary | ||
| educational institutions. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 51.9231 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 51.9231. FOOD VENDOR CONTRACT REQUIREMENT. (a) In | ||
| this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| (b) A contract entered into by an institution of higher | ||
| education with a person for the person to sell or otherwise provide | ||
| food on the institution's campus must require the person, if | ||
| eligible, to seek authorization to become a retailer and accept | ||
| benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under | ||
| Chapter 33, Human Resources Code. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 61.0763 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 61.0763. HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS PROGRAM. (a) The board | ||
| shall establish and administer a hunger-free campus program to | ||
| support institutions of higher education in establishing essential | ||
| and sustainable solutions to hunger at institution campuses in this | ||
| state. The solutions must include: | ||
| (1) allowing students to donate meal credits from the | ||
| student's meal plan to be distributed to peers who may be facing | ||
| food insecurity; | ||
| (2) establishing food pantries on campus; and | ||
| (3) developing, in collaboration with the Health and | ||
| Human Services Commission, capacity-building strategies for | ||
| increasing student enrollment in the supplemental nutrition | ||
| assistance program. | ||
| (b) The board shall establish criteria under which the board | ||
| may designate a campus of an institution of higher education as a | ||
| Hunger-Free Campus if the campus applies and meets the | ||
| qualifications. | ||
| (c) The board may establish a task force to develop best | ||
| practices guidelines for addressing student hunger on the campuses | ||
| of institutions of higher education, including methods for | ||
| implementing the solutions to hunger described by Subsection (a). | ||
| SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 33.020 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 33.020. SNAP ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED | ||
| IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) In this section, | ||
| "postsecondary educational institution" includes: | ||
| (1) an institution of higher education or a private or | ||
| independent institution of higher education as defined by Section | ||
| 61.003, Education Code; and | ||
| (2) a career school or college as defined by Section | ||
| 132.001, Education Code. | ||
| (b) The commission shall, as authorized under 7 U.S.C. | ||
| Section 2015(o)(6), provide an exemption from work requirements to | ||
| provide supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits to an | ||
| individual who is: | ||
| (1) ineligible to receive supplemental nutrition | ||
| assistance program benefits based solely on the work requirements; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) enrolled as a student in a postsecondary | ||
| educational institution. | ||
| (c) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to | ||
| implement this section, including rules that ensure a student | ||
| remains eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance benefits | ||
| during a break in the semester or academic term of the postsecondary | ||
| educational institution in which the student is enrolled. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 51.9231, Education Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, applies only to a contract entered into on or after the | ||
| effective date of this Act. A contract entered into before the | ||
| effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the | ||
| date the contract was entered into, and the former law is continued | ||
| in effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 5. Not later than December 31, 2024, the executive | ||
| commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall | ||
| adopt the rules necessary to implement Section 33.020, Human | ||
| Resources Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 6. Section 33.020, Human Resources Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, applies only to an initial determination or | ||
| recertification of eligibility for the supplemental nutrition | ||
| assistance program under Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, that is | ||
| made on or after the effective date of this Act. A determination or | ||
| recertification made before the effective date of this Act is | ||
| governed by the law in effect on the date the determination or | ||
| recertification was made, and the former law is continued in effect | ||
| for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 7. If before implementing any provision of this Act | ||
| a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a | ||
| federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, | ||
| the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or | ||
| authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the | ||
| waiver or authorization is granted. | ||
| SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
