AN ACT to establish the hunger free campus INITIATIVE and to appropriate funds for the Initiative.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Initiative Established. – The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina and the State Board of Community Colleges shall establish the Hunger Free Campus Initiative (Initiative) at constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina and community colleges under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Community Colleges, respectively, to address student hunger and food insecurity in accordance with this act. Constituent institutions and community colleges may use the funds made available to them pursuant to this act to establish new programs, expand on existing programs, and utilize community resources on their campuses. Funds may also be used for providing basic needs and other essential resources to students vulnerable to food insecurity as deemed necessary by campuses.

SECTION 2.  Hunger Free Constituent Institutions. – As part of the Initiative, the Board of Governors shall set a goal for constituent institutions receiving funds pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 4 of this act to be designated as hunger free campuses and to implement at least the following policies and strategies:

(1)        Designate a campus employee to help ensure that students have the information necessary to enroll in campus meal plans or locate other meal options appropriate for their resources.

(2)        Provide for an on‑campus food pantry or regular food distributions on campus. A campus may partner with a local food bank or food pantry to meet this requirement.

(3)        Establish or enhance existing meal sharing programs that allow students to voluntarily donate their unused meal plan credits to be distributed for use by students in need to access dining halls or to support an on‑campus food pantry. Each campus shall establish the parameters of their meal sharing program and make them publicly available to students and interested parties. The program information made publicly available shall include at least the following:

a.         How a student may donate his or her unused meal plan credits.

b.         How a low‑income student can apply to receive donated meal plan credits.

c.         The methodology for determining how unused meal plan credits that are not used by a student in need or how food purchased using these unused meal plan credits will be donated to support the on‑campus food pantry, which shall be established by campus officials in consultation with pantry staff and volunteers, including student volunteers.

d.         The campus employee designated pursuant to subdivision (1) of this section.

(4)        Designate a campus employee annually as a point of contact to work with student volunteers for the meal sharing program described in subdivision (3) of this section to assist students.

SECTION 3.  Hunger Free Community Colleges. – As part of the Initiative, the State Board of Community Colleges shall set a goal for community colleges receiving funds pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 4 of this act to be designated as hunger free campuses and to implement at least the following policies and strategies:

(1)        Designate a campus employee to help ensure that students have the information necessary to locate appropriate resources for meals.

(2)        Provide for an on‑campus food pantry or regular food distributions on campus. A campus may partner with a local food bank or food pantry to meet this requirement.

(3)        Designate a campus employee annually as a point of contact to work with student volunteers to assist students with finding meal options and community resources.

SECTION 4.(a)  Funds for Constituent Institutions. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one million six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000) in recurring funds for the 2021‑2022 fiscal year to be allocated to each constituent institution in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) each fiscal year to implement the Hunger Free Campus Initiative in accordance with this act. The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, as a constituent high school, shall not receive funds pursuant to this act.

SECTION 4.(b)  Funds for Community Colleges. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office the sum of five million eight hundred thousand dollars ($5,800,000) in recurring funds for the 2021‑2022 fiscal year to be allocated to each community college campus in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) each fiscal year to implement the Hunger Free Campus Initiative in accordance with this act.

SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2021.