Higher Education - Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program - Alterations
Summary
SB789 makes several changes to Maryland’s Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program. It expands the definition of a “hunger-free campus” so that certain private institutions of higher education can be designated as hunger-free campuses, while also clarifying that private institutions and private nonprofit-operated regional centers are not eligible to receive grant funding under the program. The bill continues the program’s focus on student food insecurity by requiring campuses to maintain hunger task forces, designate staff to help students access SNAP, provide food pantry or stigma-free food access options, conduct annual student surveys, and report their efforts to the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
The bill also adjusts the State’s funding commitment. It requires the Governor to include $150,000 in the annual budget bill for fiscal years 2023 through 2026, then increases that required appropriation to $250,000 beginning in fiscal year 2027. It preserves the Commission’s role in administering the program and directing grants to eligible public 4-year and 2-year institutions and regional higher education centers that pledge matching contributions and meet the hunger-free campus standards.
In practical terms, SB789 affects the Education Article provisions governing the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program, especially the definitions of eligible campuses, grant eligibility, reporting, and budget requirements. It also directs the Commission to incorporate a plan for addressing basic needs insecurity into the 2026–2030 State Plan for Higher Education and allows grant funds to be used flexibly for emergency assistance, staffing, and operational activities related to the program.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly supportive. The recorded votes were overwhelmingly favorable in both chambers, with the Senate passing the bill 47-0 and the House passing it 105-33. That voting pattern suggests broad agreement with the bill’s goal of addressing student hunger and food insecurity on campuses.
There is limited evidence of public controversy in the available record, and no committee transcript excerpts were provided. The main policy distinction in the bill is that it broadens hunger-free campus designation to include certain private institutions while still excluding private institutions from receiving grant funding, which may reflect a compromise between expanding recognition and limiting State spending. Any contention would likely center on that eligibility split and the increased future appropriation requirement, but the vote totals indicate those issues did not prevent passage.
Impact
SB789 amends Title 11 of the Education Article to revise the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program. It changes which campuses may be designated hunger-free, bars private institutions and private nonprofit-operated regional centers from receiving program grants, increases the required State appropriation beginning in fiscal 2027, and reinforces reporting and planning obligations for the Maryland Higher Education Commission and participating institutions. The bill primarily affects public colleges, regional higher education centers, the Commission, and students experiencing food insecurity.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have enjoyed broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a wide margin, indicating general agreement with the bill’s student-welfare goals and its approach to campus food insecurity. The available record does not include committee testimony or detailed debate, but the vote totals suggest a favorable overall sentiment.
Contention
The most notable policy tension is that the bill allows certain private institutions to be designated as hunger-free campuses while explicitly making them ineligible for grant funding. That distinction may have been intended to expand recognition without expanding direct State aid, and it is the clearest point where stakeholders could differ. Another possible area of concern is the increase in the required annual appropriation from $150,000 to $250,000 starting in fiscal 2027, though the strong vote totals suggest this was not a major obstacle.