Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Supporters urge Ohio House committee to back 'Hunger Free Campus' grants for college basic-needs programs
Summary
At a Workforce and Higher Education Committee hearing on House Bill 157, proponents from food banks, campus ministries and student groups described widespread, often "invisible" food insecurity among Ohio college students and urged a modest grant program to fund pantries, emergency aid and navigation of benefits; lawmakers sought more consistent data and clarification on funding and administration.
At a hearing of the Ohio House Workforce and Higher Education Committee, proponents urged lawmakers to pass House Bill 157, the "Hunger Free Campus Act," which would create grants to help colleges and universities establish on-campus food pantries, emergency assistance grants and student navigation to public benefits.
Sarah (last name redacted in the transcript), testifying for the Ohio Association of Food Banks, described a statewide network that works with pantries and campus partners in all 88 counties and said smaller colleges often lack infrastructure to store fresh food or staff to operate pantries. "If passed, the act would incentivize colleges and universities to establish basic needs programs like an on-site…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
