I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4637 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of 

higher education to provide notice to students receiving work-study assistance about potential eligibility for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 11, 2019 

Ms. BONAMICI (for herself and Mr. TAKANO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require 

institutions of higher education to provide notice to students receiving work-study assistance about potential eligibility for participation in the supplemental nutrition 

assistance program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Opportunity to Ad5 dress College Hunger Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION REGARDING SNAP FOR STUDENTS 

2 RECEIVING FEDERAL WORK-STUDY ASSIST3 ANCE. 

4 Section 443 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

5 U.S.C. 1087–53) is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(f) NOTIFICATION REGARDING SNAP.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An institution receiving a 

9 grant under this part shall send a notification (by 

10 email or other electronic means) to each eligible stu11 dent informing the student of their potential eligi12 bility for participation in the SNAP and the process 

13 for obtaining more information, confirming eligi14 bility, and accessing benefits under that program. 

15 The notification shall be developed by the Secretary 

16 of Education in consultation with the Secretary of 

17 Agriculture, and shall include details on eligibility 

18 requirements for participation in the SNAP that a 

19 student must satisfy. The notification shall be, to 

20 the extent practicable, specific to the student’s State 

21 of residence and shall provide contact information 

22 for the local office where an application for the 

23 SNAP may be made. 

24 ‘‘(2) EVIDENCE OF PARTICIPATION IN FEDER25 ALLY FINANCED WORK-STUDY PROGRAM.—The noti26 fication under paragraph (1) shall include an official 


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1 document confirming that the recipient is an eligible 

2 student sufficient for purposes of demonstrating that 

3 the exclusion from ineligibility for participation in 

4 the SNAP under section 6(e)(4) of the Food and 

5 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(e)(4)) applies 

6 to the student. 

7 ‘‘(3) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary of Education, 

8 in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, 

9 shall provide guidance to States and institutions of 

10 higher education on how to identify and commu11 nicate with students who are likely to be eligible for 

12 the SNAP, including those eligible for a State or 

13 federally financed work-study program. 

14 ‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub15 section: 

16 ‘‘(A) The term ‘eligible student’ means a 

17 student receiving work-study assistance under 

18 this part. 

19 ‘‘(B) The term ‘SNAP’ means the supple20 mental nutrition assistance program (as defined 

21 in section 3(t) of the Food and Nutrition Act 

22 of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(t))).’’. 

Æ 


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