HB2646 HD1.DOC

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that it is in the public interest to support agricultural self-sustainability. Innovative ideas must be explored through collaborative efforts of government, industry, and community specialists. One idea is to establish a "school farm complex" as a pilot project. The school farm complex would be a bona fide farming enterprise that includes classroom facilities and educational curriculum. The day-to-day operations of the school farm complex would be handled by community partners, including local farmers, with groups of students from area schools utilizing the complex's classroom and experiential components on a rotational basis. The legislature also finds that a school farm complex pilot project would further the goals of Hawaii's long-term agricultural sustainability plan by generating and perpetuating interest in farming and agriculture among school children, our next generation.

The legislature further finds that projects are currently being developed to support the production and marketability of local agriculture and to increase youth and academic interest in agriculture, with which governmental and nonprofit community initiatives would benefit from networking.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a school farm complex task force to explore the feasibility of establishing a school farm complex pilot project on the island of Oahu.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established a school farm complex task force to determine the feasibility of implementing a school farm complex pilot project at the University of Hawaii – West Oahu campus.

(b) The task force shall be convened by the University of Hawaii at Manoa college of tropical agriculture no later than January 1, 2015.

(1) The dean of the University of Hawaii at Manoa college of tropical agriculture and human resources who shall serve as the co-chair of the task force;

(2) The University of Hawaii - West Oahu vice-chancellor of academic affairs who shall serve as the co-chair of the task force;

(3) The chairperson of the board of agriculture;

(4) The superintendent of education;

(5) The director of health; and

(6) The director of business, economic development, and tourism.

(d) In addition to the members designated in subsection (c), the following representatives shall be selected and invited by the co-chairs of the task force to join the task force:

(1) A representative of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation;

(2) A member of the agriculture industry who represents small-operation farmers;

(3) A member of the agriculture industry who represents medium-operation farmers;

(4) A member of the agriculture industry who represents large-operation farmers;

(5) Representatives from nonprofit and community agriculture and education organizations; and

(6) A member who shall represent farmers' markets.

(e) The school farm complex task force shall:

(1) Develop recommendations and strategies to facilitate the successful implementation of a school farm complex pilot project;

(2) Identify any type of barrier that prevents or hinders a school farm complex pilot project from being established;

(3) Identify any type of barrier that prevents or hinders schools or other entities from participating in school farm complex projects that teach children and the public about the concepts of food production and consumption, the value of an accessible supply of locally grown food, the interrelationships between nutrition, food choices, obesity, health, and agricultural enterprise "best practices";

(4) Address implementation barriers that may include, but are not limited to, the following issues:

(A) Transportation;

(B) Storage;

(D) Contracting; and

(E) Food certification, food safety, and health; and

(5) Investigate the status and availability of local, state, federal, and any other resources that may be used to further the mission and recommendations of the task force and eliminate the barriers that prevent or hinder the establishment of a school farm complex.

(f) The task force shall submit to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016, a report on its findings and recommendations, including an implementation plan and proposed legislation.

(g) The task force shall be dissolved on June 30, 2016.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2646
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII