Title: Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act
This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHE) that receive grants to operate work-study programs to notify a student receiving work-study assistance that the student may be eligible for participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Department of Education must provide guidance to states and IHEs on how to identify and communicate with students who are potentially eligible for SNAP.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4637 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Opportunity to Address College 
Hunger Act''.

SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION REGARDING SNAP FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING FEDERAL 
              WORK-STUDY ASSISTANCE.

    Section 443 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087-53) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Notification Regarding SNAP.--
            ``(1) In general.--An institution receiving a grant under 
        this part shall send a notification (by email or other 
        electronic means) to each eligible student informing the 
        student of their potential eligibility for participation in the 
        SNAP and the process for obtaining more information, confirming 
        eligibility, and accessing benefits under that program. The 
        notification shall be developed by the Secretary of Education 
        in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, and shall 
        include details on eligibility requirements for participation 
        in the SNAP that a student must satisfy. The notification shall 
        be, to the extent practicable, specific to the student's State 
        of residence and shall provide contact information for the 
        local office where an application for the SNAP may be made.
            ``(2) Evidence of participation in federally financed work-
        study program.--The notification under paragraph (1) shall 
        include an official document confirming that the recipient is 
        an eligible student sufficient for purposes of demonstrating 
        that the exclusion from ineligibility for participation in the 
        SNAP under section 6(e)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
        2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(e)(4)) applies to the student.
            ``(3) Guidance.--The Secretary of Education, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall provide 
        guidance to States and institutions of higher education on how 
        to identify and communicate with students who are likely to be 
        eligible for the SNAP, including those eligible for a State or 
        federally financed work-study program.
            ``(4) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection:
                    ``(A) The term `eligible student' means a student 
                receiving work-study assistance under this part.
                    ``(B) The term `SNAP' means the supplemental 
                nutrition assistance program (as defined in section 
                3(t) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                2012(t))).''.
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