Florida Senate - 2023 CS for SB 1172 By the Committee on Agriculture; and Senator Calatayud 575-02510-23 20231172c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Hunger-Free Campus Pilot 3 Program; providing a short title; establishing the 4 pilot program within the Department of Agriculture and 5 Consumer Services for a specified period; providing 6 the purpose of the pilot program; defining the terms 7 “commissioner” and “department”; requiring the 8 Commissioner of Agriculture to identify the three 9 state universities or Florida College System 10 institutions with the highest percentage of Pell 11 Grant-eligible students for participation in the pilot 12 program; requiring the commissioner to develop a 13 specified survey instrument; providing requirements 14 for participating universities and institutions; 15 requiring participating universities and institutions 16 to submit a report to the department; requiring the 17 commissioner to submit a report to the Governor and 18 the Legislature by a specified date; specifying 19 requirements for the reports; authorizing the 20 department to adopt rules; requiring the Office of 21 Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability 22 to conduct a study to evaluate food insecurity on the 23 campuses of state universities and Florida College 24 System institutions; providing requirements for the 25 office and the study; requiring the office to submit a 26 report to the Legislature by a specified date; 27 providing an effective date. 28 29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30 31 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Hunger-Free Campus 32 Act.” 33 Section 2. (1) Subject to legislative appropriation, the 34 Hunger-Free Campus Pilot Program is established within the 35 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to support 36 efforts to fight hunger on the campuses of public postsecondary 37 educational institutions. The program is established for a 38 period of 1 year, beginning July 1, 2023. 39 (2) For purposes of this section, the term: 40 (a) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture. 41 (b) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and 42 Consumer Services. 43 (3)(a) The commissioner shall identify from among all state 44 universities and Florida College System institutions the three 45 that have the highest percentage of Pell Grant-eligible 46 students, which universities or institutions shall participate 47 in the program. 48 (b) The commissioner shall also develop the survey 49 instrument described in subsection (4). 50 (4) A participating state university or Florida College 51 System institution shall: 52 (a) Establish a hunger task force, which must include 53 representatives from the student body and meet at least three 54 times during the life of the pilot program. The task force shall 55 set at least two goals to address hunger on campus, each 56 accompanied by an action plan. 57 (b) Designate a staff member responsible for assisting 58 students with enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition 59 Assistance Program (SNAP) as defined in s. 414.456(1), Florida 60 Statutes. 61 (c) Provide options that enable students to use SNAP 62 benefits on campus or provide students with information on 63 authorized SNAP retailers in the area surrounding the campus 64 where they may use SNAP electronic benefit transfer cards. 65 (d) Host an activity or event during Hunger and 66 Homelessness Awareness Week to promote awareness of hunger on 67 the nation’s campuses. 68 (e) Provide at least one physical food pantry on campus or 69 enable students to receive food at no cost through a stigma-free 70 process. The campus may partner with a local food bank or food 71 pantry to comply with this paragraph. 72 (f) Develop a student meal credit donation program or 73 designate funds that might be raised through such a program for 74 free food vouchers. 75 (g) Conduct a student survey on hunger, using a survey 76 instrument developed by the commissioner, and submit the results 77 of the survey and a best practices campus profile to the 78 department by a date prescribed by the department for inclusion 79 in a comparative profile of each campus designated as a hunger 80 free campus. 81 (5)(a) Each participating state university or Florida 82 College System institution shall submit a report to the 83 department, in a manner prescribed by the department, which 84 describes how it implemented the program and the program 85 results. 86 (b) The commissioner shall submit a report on the program 87 to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of 88 the House of Representatives by January 1, 2025. The report must 89 include, but need not be limited to, the impact of the program 90 on establishing hunger-free campuses at participating state 91 universities or Florida College System institutions; the impact 92 of the program on reducing the number of students at such 93 universities and institutions who are experiencing food 94 insecurity; and recommendations regarding future funding and 95 implementation of the program on a long-term basis. 96 (6) The department may adopt rules to implement the 97 program. 98 Section 3. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and 99 Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study to 100 evaluate food insecurity on the campuses of state universities 101 and Florida College System institutions. 102 (2) The study must include recommendations for any changes 103 to general law, Board of Governors’ rules and regulations, or 104 State Board of Education rules needed to address food insecurity 105 on the campuses of state universities and Florida College System 106 institutions. 107 (3) In conducting the study, OPPAGA shall consult with the 108 Board of Governors of the State University System, the board of 109 trustees of the Florida College System, the Department of 110 Education, and any other relevant stakeholders. 111 (4) OPPAGA shall submit a report on its findings to the 112 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 113 Representatives by December 1, 2023. 114 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.