SB 97 Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program.

Summary
Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program. Renames the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program, established pursuant to applicable law, as "the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program" and amends the Program by expanding the criteria that a public institution of higher education or eligible private institution of higher education must satisfy to receive a designation as a "Hunger-Free Campus" and be awarded a grant under the Program to include a requirement that any such institution to establish both (i) an on-campus food pantry, pursuant to current law, and (ii) if such institution offers a meal swipe program or equivalent student meal swipe plan, a student meal credit sharing program, whereby students may voluntarily donate unused meal plan credits to be distributed for use by other students at campus dining halls or at its on-campus food pantry or to otherwise support its on-campus food pantry. The bill also requires grants awarded pursuant to the Program to be used to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution through the maintenance and operation of both its food pantry, pursuant to current law, and its student meal credit sharing program established in accordance with the bill.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Dec 31, 2025 Last action Mar 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Education and Health Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended from its original introduction to become an Education and Health Substitute, which is a procedural change indicating it has been reviewed and modified by the Senate Committee on Education and Health. The substantive policy content of the bill remains largely the same, though there are minor clarifications to the language regarding meal credit sharing programs.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it still applies to public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education in Virginia.
TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted to reflect its status as a substitute amendment, including updated header information showing it was offered for consideration on January 22, 2026, and noting the Senate Committee on Education and Health as the proposing body.

REQUIREMENT

Subsection C.2 was modified to clarify that the meal credit sharing program requirement only applies if the institution offers a meal swipe program or equivalent student meal swipe plan, making the requirement conditional rather than universal.

Subsection B was slightly modified to add 'if applicable' language regarding the use of grant funds for student meal credit sharing programs, acknowledging that not all institutions may offer such programs.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 23, 2026

How they voted

380
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 39
Jan 23, 2026
D Democratic20
20 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
18 Yea 1
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
25
Key actions
8
Committee
9
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Education and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 3-N)
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 1-N)
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Committee
Assigned HED sub: Higher Education
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education
lower
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health with substitute (14-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate committee offered
upper
Jan 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate subcommittee offered
upper
Jan 19, 2026
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Higher Education
upper
Dec 31, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Danica Roem
Danica Roem
DDemocratic
VA
30