HF 3086

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 04/03/2025 02:40 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; establishing a Student Basic Needs Advisory Council;
requiring a report; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
136A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [136A.033] STUDENT BASIC NEEDS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definition. new text end

new text begin For purposes of this section, "advisory council" means the
Student Basic Needs Advisory Council established in this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin The advisory council consists of 12 members. Eight of the
members must not be students. Those eight members are appointed by the commissioner
and must include, to the extent practicable, representatives from Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities, the University of Minnesota, nonprofit private colleges, Tribal colleges
and universities, faculty and staff bargaining units, state agencies, and other interested parties
as determined by the commissioner. Four of the members must be students and must include
a representative from each of the following, to be designated by the relevant organization:
the University of Minnesota student senate, the Minnesota State University Student
Association, the Minnesota State College Student Association, and the Minnesota Association
of Private College Students.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Duties and powers. new text end

new text begin The advisory council must:
new text end

new text begin (1) advise the commissioner on the design and implementation of the biennial basic
needs assessment required by section 136A.034;
new text end

new text begin (2) advise the commissioner regarding the implementation of recommendations in the
report to the legislature required by Laws 2023, chapter 41, article 1, section 33, subdivision
3;
new text end

new text begin (3) by January 15 of each odd-numbered year, provide the commissioner with a proposed
work plan to identify, assess, and support students who are experiencing housing and food
insecurity during the following two years;
new text end

new text begin (4) identify best practices for addressing housing and food insecurity among
postsecondary students in Minnesota;
new text end

new text begin (5) monitor federal and state policy changes that impact housing and food insecurity
among postsecondary students in Minnesota;
new text end

new text begin (6) propose legislative changes related to higher education that affect students' basic
needs;
new text end

new text begin (7) propose policy changes to the commissioner to improve student access to basic needs
resources; and
new text end

new text begin (8) perform other tasks of an advisory nature as requested by the commissioner.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Officers; meetings. new text end

new text begin The advisory council must annually appoint a chair and
vice-chair from among the advisory council's members, and may appoint other officers as
necessary. The council must meet at least quarterly upon the call of the chair.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Terms; compensation; removal; vacancies; expiration. new text end

new text begin Compensation,
removal of members, and filling of vacancies of members must be as provided in section
15.059, except that council members who are not students must not receive a per diem.
Members must serve terms of two years, except student members must serve terms of one
year and one-half of the members of the first advisory council who are not students will
serve one-year terms. The advisory council is not subject to the expiration date provisions
of section 15.059.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Expiration of the advisory council. new text end

new text begin The advisory council expires on June 30,
2033.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Reporting requirements. new text end

new text begin (a) By December 31 of each even-numbered year,
the commissioner must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees having jurisdiction over higher education policy.
new text end

new text begin (b) The report must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) the results of the most recent biennial basic needs assessment required by section
136A.034, including a summary of trends and challenges identified in the assessment;
new text end

new text begin (2) outcomes related to the biennial work plan;
new text end

new text begin (3) recommended policy changes to improve student basic needs security; and
new text end

new text begin (4) proposed legislative actions or funding requests to address identified gaps in student
support services.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Support and funding. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may seek and accept private and
federal funds to support the advisory council's activities, including conducting research,
implementing best practices, and administering the biennial assessments.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [136A.034] BIENNIAL STUDENT BASIC NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
new text end

new text begin (a) Each even-numbered year, the commissioner must oversee and facilitate a biennial
basic needs assessment for students at all postsecondary institutions in Minnesota to identify
key areas of food insecurity and housing insecurity. The commissioner may request that
the Student Basic Needs Advisory Council or a subset of the council's members assist with
the design or implementation of the assessment.
new text end

new text begin (b) The assessment must:
new text end

new text begin (1) be tailored to the specific populations surveyed;
new text end

new text begin (2) assess student access to sufficient and quality food;
new text end

new text begin (3) assess student access to safe and reliable housing, including frequency of moves and
housing affordability; and
new text end

new text begin (4) assess instances of student homelessness.
new text end

new text begin (c) The assessment must incorporate questions adapted from the following sources:
new text end

new text begin (1) the six-question USDA Household Food Security Survey Module;
new text end

new text begin (2) the Adult Well-Being Module of the Survey of Income and Program Participation
administered by the United States Census Bureau; and
new text end

new text begin (3) Crutchfield, R. M. and Maguire, J., Researching Basic Needs in Higher Education:
Qualitative and Quantitative Instruments to Explore a Holistic Understanding of Food and
Housing Security, California State University Office of the Chancellor (2017).
new text end

new text begin (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c), the Student Basic Needs Advisory Council
may suggest, and the commissioner may adopt, additional or different methods and sources
that align with best practices.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin STUDENT BASIC NEEDS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
new text end

new text begin (a) By December 31, 2025, the commissioner must appoint and the student organizations
must designate members of the Student Basic Needs Advisory Council pursuant to Minnesota
Statutes, section 136A.033, who must serve terms according to Minnesota Statutes, section
136A.033, subdivision 5.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must convene the first meeting of the Student Basic Needs
Advisory Council by January 31, 2026.
new text end