4-year public institutions or regional higher education centers
(a) The Commission shall designate as a hunger-free campus any campus of a 4-year public institution of higher education or regional higher education center that:
(1) Has established a hunger task force that:
(i) Meets at least three times per academic year; and
(ii) Sets at least two goals with action plans;
(2) Has designated a staff member responsible for:
(i) Assisting students in enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; or
(ii) Connecting students with available Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach partners that can assist students in enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
(3) Has designated a staff member responsible for informing students participating in federal work-study programs that they are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
(4)(i) Provides options for students to utilize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits at campus retailers; or
(ii) Provides students with information on the names and locations of off-campus retailers that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits;
(5) Participates in an awareness day campaign activity and plans at least one campus awareness event during the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week;
(6) Provides at least one food pantry on campus, or enables students in need to receive food through a separate, stigma-free arrangement;
(7) Develops and maintains a meal-sharing program that allows students to donate their unused meal plan credits to be distributed to students in need for use in campus dining halls or at an on-campus food pantry, if applicable;
(8) Conducts a standardized annual student survey on hunger and submits the results to the Commission; and
(9) Submits an annual report detailing its efforts to address student hunger to the Commission.
2-year public institutions
(b) The Commission shall designate as a hunger-free campus any campus of a 2-year public institution of higher education that meets all of the requirements for 4-year public institutions of higher education or regional higher education centers identified in subsection (a) of this section, with the exception of the requirements in subsection (a)(4) and (7) of this section.
Procedures; public information
(c)(1) Each 4-year public institution of higher education may develop its own procedures for a meal-sharing program.
(2) The 4-year public institutions of higher education shall make information about the meal-sharing program publicly available, including:
(i) How a student may donate unused meal plan credits;
(ii) How a student in need may apply to receive donated meal plan credits; and
(iii) The methodology that a 4-year public institution of higher education uses to ensure that unused donated meal plan credits are used to purchase food to support an on-campus food pantry, if applicable.
Credits
Added by Acts 2021, c. 579, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 580, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021.
MD Code, Education, § 11-1703, MD EDUC § 11-1703
Current through legislation effective through May 9, 2024, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
