STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1056

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 27

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 27 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP NUTRITIONALLY-SOUND PUBLIC SCHOOL MEAL PLANS THAT GIVE STUDENTS THE OPTION OF A VEGETARIAN ENTRÉE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the Department of Education to work with the Department of Health to develop nutritionally-sound school meal plans that give students the option of a vegetarian entrée at least once a week.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Puna Community Medical Center and four individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committees find that while some public schools do provide vegetarian school lunch options, students who identify themselves as vegetarian or vegan or come from vegetarian or vegan families are at a disadvantage if no vegetarian school lunch options are available at their schools.

     As this measure moves forward in the legislative process, your Committees encourage the Department of Education to look at the feasibility of providing salad bars at each public school.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 27 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair