A9514

The Senate unanimously passed Assembly Bill 9514, legislation designed to address food insecurity among college students by exempting food sold through approved donation programs from sales tax. The measure, sponsored by Assemblymember Cunningham, passed on a 60-0 vote. Sen. Webb, the Senate sponsor, spoke passionately about the bill during floor debate, noting that more than 40 percent of students in New York's SUNY and CUNY systems experience food insecurity. She highlighted the role of campus meal-share programs like Swipe Out Hunger, which operates over 60 partnerships across the state, in redistributing unused meal swipes and meal dollars to students in need. Webb characterized the legislation as part of a broader commitment to making higher education more equitable and treating campus food insecurity as a serious public health issue. The bill takes effect on the same date and in the same manner as the chapter of the Laws of 2025 it amends.