SB885 SD2

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that empowering children with knowledge is the most effective way to keep our communities healthy for the long-term. Teaching healthy eating habits is essential to addressing the increasing rates of obesity in our children. Teaching children how to grow their own food and how to prepare it in a healthy way will enable them to adopt healthy eating habits and maintain a healthy lifestyle through adulthood.

The legislature further finds that with the decline of the sugar and pineapple industries in Hawaii, agricultural lands are evolving into small diversified agricultural farms. Further, with the demand for landscaping by many public and private businesses, the landscaping industry is purportedly as large as the diversified agriculture industry in Hawaii. The legislature finds that the need for agricultural workers, including landscaping and other agriculture industry related workers, runs the gamut in terms of skill-level. There is a critical need for government support to establish an educational infrastructure that may prepare students for work in the agriculture and agriculture-related industries. Appropriate programs would assist in preparing and guiding students who are otherwise unlikely to pursue higher education into jobs that are in demand.

The purpose of this Act is to support and enhance the agriculture industry by ensuring the continued supply of qualified individuals for the industry through:

(1) The establishment of a comprehensive agriculture education program that includes but is not limited to landscape education, culinary arts, farming, diversified agriculture, and related industries such as market development and science and technology in the public schools; and

(2) The establishment of an agricultural and culinary education program that teaches students healthy eating habits and encourages the culinary arts, farming, diversified agriculture, and related industries such as market development and science and technology, as long-term career goals.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-431.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§302A-431.7[~~] Vocational agriculture~~] Agriculture education program. (a) The department shall establish and administer [~~a vocational~~] a comprehensive agriculture education program. The agriculture education program shall include adequate staffing of individuals trained or experienced in the field of [~~vocational~~] agriculture to coordinate the program and to provide assistance to school [~~districts~~] complexes for the coordination of the activities of related student [~~agricultural~~] organizations and associations. For purposes of this section, the term "agriculture" or "agricultural" shall include the fields of farming, diversified agriculture, landscaping, aquaculture, culinary arts, and related industries such as market development and science and technology.

(b) The [~~vocational~~] agriculture education program shall be administered by a director who shall:

(1) Assess the agricultural needs of the State and devise methods of meeting those needs with the [~~vocational~~] agriculture education program;

(2) Assist school districts in establishing [~~vocational~~] agriculture programs;

(3) Review school district applications for approval of [~~vocational~~] agriculture programs;

(4) Evaluate existing programs;

(5) Plan research and studies for the improvement of curriculum materials for specialty areas of [~~vocational~~] agriculture[;], including aquaculture and incumbent worker training;

(6) Ensure that the standards and criteria developed under this section satisfy the mandates of federally- assisted vocational education;

(7) Develop in-service programs for teachers and administrators of [~~vocational~~] agriculture;

(8) Review applications for [~~vocational~~] agriculture teacher certification;

(9) Assist in teacher recruitment and placement in [~~vocational~~] agriculture programs;

(10) Serve as a liaison with the Future Farmers of America, representatives of business, industry, appropriate public agencies, and institutions of higher education to facilitate dissemination of information;

(11) Promote improvement of [~~vocational~~] agriculture programs;

(12) Assist in the development of adult [~~and~~], continuing education, and college-level education programs in [~~vocational~~] agriculture;

(13) Establish an advisory task force of agriculturists[,] and other experts in the field of agriculture, who represent the diverse areas of the agricultural industry in the State, that shall make annual recommendations on the development of curriculum, staffing, and strategies to establish a source of trained and qualified individuals in agriculture and strategies for developing the state program in [~~vocational~~] agriculture education, including youth leadership throughout the public schools[.]; and

(14) Assist in the administration of the agricultural and culinary education program established in subsection (c).

(c) The department shall establish and administer an agricultural and culinary education program that integrates culinary arts with the school lunch program and the agriculture education program to teach students healthy eating habits and encourage culinary arts, farming, diversified agriculture, and related industries such as market development and science and technology as career options. The department of agriculture shall assist the department with the implementation of this program.

[~~(c)~~] (d) The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate this section."

SECTION 3. The department of education shall consult with the department of agriculture and the University of Hawaii's college of tropical agriculture and human resources and college of education in the development and implementation of the agriculture education program established under this Act.

SECTION 4. The department of education shall submit a report to the legislature regarding:

(1) Its activities and any requests for funding to further implement the agriculture education program; and

(2) Its development and implementation of the agricultural and culinary education program,

no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2008 and 2009.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to support and maintain a comprehensive agriculture education program in the public schools as provided in section 2 of this Act.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of section 2 of this Act.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the establishment and administration of the agricultural and culinary education program as provided in this Act.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of establishing and administering the agricultural and culinary education program pursuant to section 2 of this Act.

SECTION 7. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that sections 5 and 6 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	885
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII