STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2914

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2398

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2398, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Agriculture to develop and administer a local health food incentive program promoting the purchase of fruits and vegetables for beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; and

(2) Appropriates moneys from the local health food incentive program special fund for administration of the local health food incentive program and to provide matching funds to beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Your Committee received written comments 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 Hawaii; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; American Heart Association; Aloha Harvest; Hawaii Public Health Association; The Food Basket Inc., Hawai‘i Island's Food Bank; Papa Ola Lokahi; Ulupono Initiative; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; Hawai‘i Pacific Health; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Hawaii Children's Action Network; Pioneering Healthier Communities of Honolulu; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; OCC Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Community First; Blue Zones Project – Koolaupoko; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and sixty individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is an integral part of a healthy diet and that every community should have adequate access to fresh produce; however, the high cost and poor quality of available produce often make this difficult. Farmers' market matching incentive programs, in which individuals who purchase produce at local farmers' markets using their federal nutrition assistance benefits receive additional benefits on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to a certain amount, can increase access to healthy dietary options for participants, invigorate local economies, and address food insecurity.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation into and out of the local health food incentive program special fund from $300,000 to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2398, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2398, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair