A measure presented by State Sen. Danica A. Roem targets the expansion of efforts to address student food insecurity, enhancing sustainable food resources at additional college campuses, according to the Virginia State Senate.
The SB97 bill, brought forward on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, carries the official title: “Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program.”
The following is a summary we provide based on the bill’s text, with clarifications offered for its principal elements.
Essentially, the proposal expands Virginia’s Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to include nonprofit private colleges that qualify, and more specifically defines its objectives to tackle student hunger, advance stable food provision and encourage strategic partnerships. Under the bill, both public and eligible private institutions participating must either maintain an on-campus food pantry or collaborate with a local food bank to distribute free food without a need-test (with possible student ID check). Further, it establishes a program that permits students to share voluntary, unused meal plan credits with peers or to assist the on-campus pantry.
Sen. Danica A. Roem (Democrat-30th District) is the only listed sponsor of this bill.
Since the session commenced, Roem has put forward an additional 16 pieces of legislation.
Roem is a 2006 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Roem, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected in 2024 to serve as a Virginia state senator in the 30th District, taking over from former state senator Adam Ebbin.
In Virginia, the legislative process starts with a bill’s introduction in either the Senate or House of Delegates, after which it goes to committees for consideration and possible changes. If committees support the bill, it moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting. If both chambers adopt the bill, it then moves to the governor, who may approve, veto, or pass it without a signature. Each regular General Assembly session begins on the second Monday of January. Legislators propose hundreds of measures annually, though not all are enacted into law.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danica A. Roem | SB97 | 01/14/2026 | Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program. |
| Danica A. Roem and R. Creigh Deeds | SB4 | 01/14/2026 | School breakfasts; availability at no cost to students. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB41 | 01/14/2026 | Motor Vehicles, Department of; electronic transactions, voluntary contributions. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB42 | 01/14/2026 | School boards; payment of school meal debt. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB43 | 01/14/2026 | Demand response programs; evaluation and assessment by Department of Energy, report. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB44 | 01/14/2026 | Cemeteries on private property; registration by localities. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB92 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; tuition and fee waivers. |
| Danica A. Roem and Michelle Lopes Maldonado | SB93 | 01/14/2026 | Data centers; taxes on banks that are tenants of a center. |
| Danica A. Roem and Adam P. Ebbin | SB94 | 01/14/2026 | Data centers; site assessment, sound profile of the high energy use facility. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB95 | 01/14/2026 | Rest area signage; adds human trafficking information. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB331 | 01/14/2026 | Veterinary Medicine, Board of; traineeships. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB336 | 01/14/2026 | Tier 2 emergency generators; SCC shall evaluate impact of requiring data centers to limit use, etc. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB345 | 01/14/2026 | Guardianship/conservatorship of incapacitated adult; right to request counsel, right to a jury trial. |
| Danica A. Roem, Angelia Williams Graves, and David R. Suetterlein | SB350 | 01/14/2026 | Absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. |
| Danica A. Roem and Kannan Srinivasan | SB482 | 01/14/2026 | Sodium Chloride; alternatives to use to treat and pretreat roadways for winter weather, report. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB503 | 01/14/2026 | Phase II Utility; rates, terms, and conditions of services, certain customers. |
| Danica A. Roem and Scott A. Surovell | SB716 | 01/14/2026 | Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with U.S. Department of Transportation. |
Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State Senate. Full source materials are available here.
