Education, Higher

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify exact amounts or timelines for the distribution of funds.

Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program Act

This bill establishes a grant program to help Tennessee higher education institutions address student hunger by providing funds and setting up food pantries.

What This Bill Does

• Creates the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program, which provides grants to eligible higher education institutions in Tennessee.
• Establishes a separate fund within the general fund called the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Fund, which will receive appropriations from the state and donations for grant distribution.
• Requires participating institutions to submit applications, establish food pantries or partnerships with existing ones, and form hunger task forces including student members.
• Authorizes the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to develop policies and procedures for approving grant applications.
• Requires institutions receiving grants to use funds for meal credit donation programs, meal voucher funding, financial assistance to food pantries, and raising awareness about campus resources related to food insecurity.

Who It Names or Affects

• Higher education institutions in Tennessee, including public universities and community colleges as well as private postsecondary institutions.
• Students experiencing hunger at these institutions who will benefit from the programs funded by grants.

Terms To Know

higher education institution

A college or university in Tennessee, either public or private and accredited.

hunger task force

A group within an educational institution that includes student members to study food insecurity issues on campus.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not appropriate funds; the general assembly must approve specific appropriations for the program.
• It is unclear how much funding will be available and when it will start being distributed.

Official Summary Text

This bill provides that, subject to the appropriation of funds by the general assembly, there is created a hunger-free campus grant program to provide grants to higher education institutions to be used to address hunger on the institutions' campuses, whic
h will be administered by the Tennessee higher education commission. As used in this bill, a " higher education institution" means (i) an institution operated by the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee, the board of regents of the state univ
er
sity and community college system, or a local governing board of trustees of a state university; or (ii) a private postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting association that has its primary campus domiciled in this state.

HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS GRANT FUND

This bill creates a separate fund within the general fund to be known as the hunger-free campus grant fund, which will be composed of (i) funds specifically appropriated by the general assembly for the grant fund; and (ii) gifts, grants, and other donati
ons received for the grant fund.

HUNGER-FREE CAMPUS GRANT

In order to be eligible for a grant, this bill requires a higher education institution to do all of the following:



Submit an application to the commission on a form prescribed by the commission, along with any supporting documentation required by the commission


Have or establish a physical food pantry that is accessible to students; or partner with a food pantry that is accessible to students and located in one or more counties where the higher education institution maintains a campus where students reside or attend in-person courses


Establish a hunger task force that includes at least two members of the institution's student body to examine the needs and best practices of food insecurity on campus

This bill requires the commission to establish a formal process and deadline for receiving a higher education institution's application and authorizes the commission to develop and implement additional policies and procedures for the approval of grant ap
plications.

This bill requires a higher education institution that is awarded a grant to use grant proceeds to (i) develop a student meal credit donation program; allocate funding for a meal voucher program for students; or provide financial assistance to a food pan
try above; and (ii) raise awareness of community and campus resources related to food insecurity.

REPORT

This bill requires a higher education institution that is awarded a grant to, for each year for which the institution receives a grant, study and submit a report to the education committee of the senate and the education administration committee of the h
ouse of representatives on the institution's efforts to address food insecurity, the demographics of the institution's food-insecure students, the best practices being implemented by the institution to address campus hunger, and other data related to camp
us
hunger at the institution.

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #3 AND PASSED SENATE BILL
172, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 changes the house committee to which a
higher education institution that is awarded a hunger-free campus grant
must,
for each year for which the institution receives a grant, submit a report on the institution's efforts to address food insecurity, the demographics of the institution's food-insecure students, the best practices being implemented by the institution to ad
dress campus hunger, and other data related to campus hunger at the institution
from the
education administration committee of
the house of representatives
to
the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over education
.

AMENDMENT #3 r
eplaces language stating that this bill does not appropriate funds with a statement of

legislative intent that the general appropriations act does not include an appropriation of funds for the hunger-free campus grant program for fiscal year 2025-2026, 2026-2027, or 2027-2028.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 7
By Hale

SENATE BILL 172
By Massey

SB0172
000197
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to a hunger-free campus grant program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section, "higher education institution" means:
(1) An institution operated by:
(A) The board of trustees of the University of Tennessee;
(B) The board of regents of the state university and community
college system; or
(C) A local governing board of trustees of a state university; or
(2) A private postsecondary institution accredited by a regional
accrediting association that has its primary campus domiciled in this state.
(b) Subject to the appropriation of funds by the general assembly, there is
created a hunger-free campus grant program to provide grants to higher education
institutions to be used to address hunger on the institutions' campuses.
(c) The Tennessee higher education commission shall administer the hunger-
free campus grant program.
(d)
(1) There is created a separate fund within the general fund to be known
as the hunger-free campus grant fund.
(2) The hunger-free campus grant fund is composed of:

- 2 - 000197

(A) Funds specifically appropriated by the general assembly for
the grant fund; and
(B) Gifts, grants, and other donations received for the grant fund.
(e)
(1) To be eligible for a hunger-free campus grant, a higher education
institution must:
(A) Submit an application to the commission on a form prescribed
by the commission, along with any supporting documentation required by
the commission. The commission shall establish a formal process and
deadline for receiving a higher education institution's application;
(B)
(i) Have or establish a physical food pantry that is
accessible to students; or
(ii) Partner with a food pantry that is accessible to students
and located in one (1) or more counties where the higher
education institution maintains a campus where students reside or
attend in-person courses; and
(C) Establish a hunger task force that includes at least two (2)
members of the institution's student body to examine the needs and best
practices of food insecurity on campus.
(2) The commission is authorized to develop and implement additional
policies and procedures for the approval of grant applications.
(f) A higher education institution that is awarded a hunger-free campus grant
must use grant proceeds to:
(1)

- 3 - 000197

(A) Develop a student meal credit donation program;
(B) Allocate funding for a meal voucher program for students; or
(C) Provide financial assistance to a food pantry described in
subdivision (e)(1)(B); and
(2) Raise awareness of community and campus resources related to
food insecurity.
(g) A higher education institution that is awarded a hunger-free campus grant
shall, for each year for which the institution receives a hunger-free campus grant, study
and submit a report to the education committee of the senate and the education
administration committee of the house of representatives on the institution's efforts to
address food insecurity, the demographics of the institution's food-insecure students, the
best practices being implemented by the institution to address campus hunger, and
other data related to campus hunger at the institution.
SECTION 2. This act is not an appropriation of funds, and funds must not be obligated
or expended pursuant to this act unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general
appropriations act.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.