Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

As the costs of higher education continue to rise and financial assistance programs struggle to keep up, many college students are forced to ignore their basic needs. Though it may come as a surprise, between one-third and one-half of college students have difficulty finding enough to eat. 

 

Given that college is hard enough without worrying about where your next meal will come from, I am reintroducing legislation to tackle the issue of food insecurity on campuses across Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Initiative was funded with $1 million in the 2022-23 state budget. 

 

This bill will solidify the importance of this grant program for institutions that take certain actions to eliminate hunger on their campus, including providing a food pantry and establishing a hunger task force. This legislation will direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to deliver a report on food insecurity at colleges and universities, so we have can collect the information we need to develop additional long-term solutions.

 

Right now, across Pennsylvania, many are denied the basic securities they need to survive. We can—and must—do better. This legislation will mirror the Hunger-Free College Campus legislation brought forward by Rep. Kenyatta and Rep. O'Mara this session. 

 

Please join us in standing with the hardworking students of Pennsylvania by co-sponsoring this legislation.