# Virginia SB97: Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program.

Virginia SB97, Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program., is a 2027 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Danica A. Roem (Democratic); status passed senate, last action 2026-07-21 (Continued from last session) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB97-2027
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB97
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2027 Regular Session
- Title: Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program.
- Status: passed senate
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-12-31
- Last action: 2026-07-21, Continued from last session
- Sponsor: Danica A. Roem (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Appropriations
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## 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 overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Danica A. Roem (Democratic), Senate

## Actions (26)

- 2026-07-21: Continued from last session (House)
- 2026-03-09: Continued to 2027 in Appropriations (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Reported from Education and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-03-02: Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2026-02-26: Assigned HED sub: Higher Education (House)
- 2026-02-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB97) (Senate)
- 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-27: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Committee substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Committee substitute printed 26105701D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-01-22: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-22: Reported from Education and Health with substitute (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Assigned Education sub: Higher Education (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate)
- 2025-12-31: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2025-12-31: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100751D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231285.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231284.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231240.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231239.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-12-31: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229608.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229607.PDF)

## Related bills

- SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report. (in committee)
- HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements. (introduced)
- HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information. (introduced)
- SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset. (in committee)
- SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment. (in committee)
- SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion State Prison. (in committee)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231285.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231284.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231240.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231239.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229608.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229607.PDF)

## Related
- [SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB844-2027)
- [HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of s…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1535-2027)
- [HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1534-2027)
- [SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB843-2027)
- [SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB842-2027)
- [SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion Sta…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB840-2027)
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- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB97-2027 (as of 2026-10-12).