Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 843, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide the Department of Education with more flexibility in setting the price of school lunches.

Presently, the Department is restricted by law in setting the price for school lunches. Generally, the Department must ensure that the moneys received from the sale of school lunches is not more than one-third of the cost of preparing the school lunch.

This measure repeals this restriction and instead allows the Department to adjust the price of lunches based on the average cost of preparing the school lunch over the three years preceding any school lunch increase. Your Committee finds that this method will allow the Department to be more cost efficient in providing nutritional meals to students at a reasonable price.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 843, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.