STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1492

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 15

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 15, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE FORMATION OF A WORK GROUP TO DEVELOP NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage healthy eating.

     More specifically, this measure:

(1)  Requests the State to create and encourage providing nutrition guidelines for all food sold or provided on state government property, sold by vending machines or on-site vendors, or purchased and made available by government agencies for their guests at meetings;

(2)  Requests the Department of Health to establish the State Nutrition Guidelines Work Group to:

(A)  Draft model food guidelines for all state agencies;

(B)  Create a toolkit for implementing the nutrition guidelines;

(C)  Develop recommendations for implementing the guidelines in all state agencies; and

(D)  Report its findings to the 2015 Legislature.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health and Hawaii Pacific Health.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that obesity causes higher medical costs and a lower quality of life.  In Hawaii, adult obesity has doubled between 1995 and 2009, and childhood obesity has increased by thirty-eight percent between 1999 and 2009.  Healthy eating is critical to reducing obesity, and the availability of healthy food choices increases people's ability to maintain a healthy weight.  Your Committee also finds that the development and adoption of nutrition guidelines for state agencies would facilitate the promotion of healthy foods served at government-run facilities and functions and encourage a work environment that supports a healthy and productive workforce.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 15, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair