STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2094

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2398

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2398 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture to develop and administer a farmers' market matching incentive program promoting the purchase of fruits and vegetables for beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Health; Department of Human Services; Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; American Heart Association; Hawaii Public Health Association; The Food Basket Inc., Hawai‘i Island's Food Bank; Ulupono Initiative; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; Hawai‘i Pacific Health; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaii Farmers Union United Waianae Coast; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; Health Promotion & Disease Prevention; Kokua Kalihi Valley Roots Food Program; Blue Zones Project; O‘ahu County Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Community First; Blue Zones Project – Koolaupoko; and fifty-five individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is an integral part of a healthy diet and central to the prevention of obesity and disease. Every community should have adequate access to healthy dietary options; however, the high cost of healthy food often makes this difficult. Your Committees find that this measure provides a mechanism by which low income households can have greater access to high quality fresh fruits and vegetables.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Expanding the incentive program to include other direct food retailers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;

(2) Specifying that the dollar-for-dollar match up to $20 is per month;

(3) Renaming the program as the "local health food incentive program"; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2398, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2398, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Human Services,

________________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair