I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5591 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to expand the eligibility 
of students to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance pro-
gram, establish college student food insecurity demonstration programs, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 15, 2021 
Mrs. HAYES (for herself, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, and Mrs. TORRES of Cali-
fornia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to expand 
the eligibility of students to participate in the supple-
mental nutrition assistance program, establish college 
student food insecurity demonstration programs, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Student Food Security 
Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 
SUPPLEMENTAL 
NUTRITION 
ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITION OF HOUSEHOLD.—Section 3(m)(5) 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2012(m)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(F) Individuals who are students and 
residents of an institution of higher education 
(as defined in section 102 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)).’’. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENTS.—Section 6 of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is 
amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by inserting 
‘‘QUALIFICATIONS AND’’ after ‘‘ELIGIBILITY’’; 
(2) in subsection (d)(2)(C)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘who is’’ after ‘‘student’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘(except’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘section)’’ and inserting ‘‘(as de-
termined by the school, training program, or in-
stitution of higher education) and meets the re-
quirements for eligibility under subsection (e)’’; 
and 
(3) in subsection (e)— 
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(A) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by redesig-
nating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) 
and (II), respectively, and indenting appro-
priately; and 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(A) through (D) as clauses (i) through 
(iv), respectively, and indenting appro-
priately; 
(B) in paragraph (5), by redesignating 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and 
(ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately; 
(C) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (8) as subparagraphs (A) through (H), 
respectively, and indenting appropriately; 
(D) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘20’’ and inserting ‘‘10’’; 
(E) in subparagraph (E)(ii) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘paragraph (4)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘subparagraph (D)’’; 
(F) in subparagraph (G) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end after the 
semicolon; 
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(G) in subparagraph (H) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking the period at the end and in-
serting a semicolon; 
(H) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘(e) No in-
dividual’’ and all that follows through ‘‘indi-
vidual—’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(e) QUALIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS.—A student 
enrolled in any recognized school, training program, or in-
stitution of higher education (as defined in section 102 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) 
shall be eligible to participate in the supplemental nutri-
tion assistance program if— 
‘‘(1) the student satisfies the income and other 
eligibility requirements of this Act; and 
‘‘(2) the student—’’; and 
(I) in paragraph (2) (as so designated), by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(I) is eligible to participate in a State or 
federally financed work study program, includ-
ing the program authorized under part C of 
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1087–51 et seq.); 
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‘‘(J)(i) is not an independent student (as 
defined in section 480(d) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(d))); and 
‘‘(ii)(I) has an expected family contribution 
or student aid index of not more than $0, as 
determined in accordance with part F of title 
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087kk et seq.); or 
‘‘(II) meets the financial eligibility criteria 
for receiving a maximum Federal Pell Grant 
under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a et seq.)— 
‘‘(aa) regardless of whether the stu-
dent has completed the Free Application 
for Federal Student Aid described in sec-
tion 483 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1090); and 
‘‘(bb) as determined by a State using 
the income of the student, as determined 
under— 
‘‘(AA) the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program or another Fed-
eral or State means-tested program; 
or 
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‘‘(BB) another reasonable simpli-
fying assumption; or 
‘‘(K)(i) is an independent student (as de-
fined in section 480(d) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(d))); and 
‘‘(ii) is a member of a household otherwise 
eligible to participate in the supplemental nutri-
tion assistance program.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 6(d)(2)(C) 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015(d)(2)(C)) is amended by striking ‘‘half time’’ and 
inserting ‘‘half-time’’. 
SEC. 3. COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION ON STUDENT 
ELIGIBILITY FOR NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAMS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COLLEGE
STUDENT.—The term ‘‘college 
student’’ means a student enrolled in an institution 
of higher education. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the supplemental nutrition assistance program es-
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tablished under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(b) STRATEGIES REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the effective date of this Act, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to Congress a report that describes the strategy to 
be used by the Secretary— 
(1) to increase the awareness of State agencies 
and institutions of higher education about— 
(A) college student food insecurity; 
(B) the eligibility of college students for 
the program; and 
(C) the procedures and resources available 
to college students who are not participating in 
the program to access benefits under the pro-
gram; 
(2) to identify— 
(A) existing or potential informational, 
educational, policy, and psychological barriers 
to enrolling in the program and barriers to 
complying with program requirements; 
(B) mitigation strategies with respect to 
those barriers; and 
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