Hunger -Free Campus Act passes Alabama House

April 22, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation to provide food pantries on Alabama college campuses.

House Bill 273 (HB273) is sponsored by State Representatives Terri Collins (R-Decatur).

The Hunger-Free Campus Act would require the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to require colleges and universities in the state to form a hunger-free task force. The bill would establish a framework for colleges to be designated as "hunger-free campuses."

Institutions of higher learning must then meet specific eligibility criteria to receive that designation.

Collins explained that she has a committee substitute for the bill as originally introduced.

"We have a substitute because the private schools wanted to participate too," Collins explained.

The House adopted the substitute.

According to the synopsis, "This bill would establish the Hunger-Free Campus. This bill would require the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to establish a process for a qualified public institution of higher education to be designated as a hunger-free campus.

This bill would provide application and eligibility requirements for designation as a hunger-free campus. This bill would also provide for the award of grants to a hunger-free campus to purchase equipment and supplies for on-campus food pantries, subject to the appropriation of funds by the Legislature."

The legislation, as substituted, passed the House 92 to 2.

It now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

The legislature is limited to a maximum of 30 legislative days in a regular session. This was day 24 of the regular session.