HB2740 HD2

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that up to forty-five per cent of food in public schools is wasted each day, costing the department of education millions of dollars each year. Food waste is the second-largest contributor to waste and accounts for twenty-five per cent of all materials sent to landfills. Production of food for the State's public schools uses significant resources, including fresh water, fertilizer, and agricultural land. In addition, this excessive use of food resources contributes significantly to climate change and the State's carbon emissions through methane gas emitted in landfills and carbon dioxide emitted during production and shipment of food to the State.

The legislature further finds that safely sharing unused food with those who need it and implementing on-site campus composting programs are effective ways to divert significant amounts of food waste from landfills, save millions of dollars each year, provide a valuable and engaging learning experience for students, and produce tons of fresh carbon-sequestering compost for use by local farmers and communities.

The legislature also finds that students involved with on-site campus composting programs can learn about the relationships between composting, food waste, nutrient cycling, soil health, and local food production, and be empowered with valuable tools to reduce their own carbon and waste footprints for themselves and those around them.

The legislature reports that Hawaii imports over six million pounds of food on a daily basis at a cost of over $3,000,000,000 per year. With ninety per cent of Hawaii's food being imported, residents are at a direct risk of food shortages. In the event of a natural disaster or other external factor, food supplies in Hawaii would last between three and ten days. An increase in locally sourced proteins and produce will simultaneously boost the local economy and improve overall state resiliency.

Educating and engaging students about locally sourced foods and native Hawaiian food crops can also provide students with valuable lessons about their own health, culture, carbon footprints, and waste footprints.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish long-term targets in the sustainable schools initiative to address food waste and improve sustainable meals in Hawaii's public schools.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-1510, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§302A-1510[]] Sustainable schools initiative. (a) The department shall establish [~~a goal~~] goals of [~~becoming~~]:

(1) Becoming net-zero with respect to energy use, producing as much renewable energy as the department consumes across all public school facilities, by January 1, 2035[.];

(2) Becoming net-zero with respect to food waste by safely sharing excess food with those who need it and utilizing all other food waste from public school facilities to create compost at public school campuses, by January 1, 2035; and

(3) Locally sourcing sixty per cent of all animal proteins and sixty per cent of all produce purchased for meals offered in public schools, by January 1, 2035.

The department is encouraged to engage students and incorporate the sustainable schools initiative elements into curriculum as appropriate.

(b) The department shall use the amount and value of energy consumed by the department across all public school facilities during the 2015-2016 fiscal year as the benchmark for measuring the department's progress toward the energy usage goal set forth in subsection [~~(a).~~] (a)(1).

(1) The overall progress toward the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection [~~(a);~~] (a)(1);

(2) Its plans and recommendations to advance the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection [~~(a);~~] (a)(1); and

(3) Any challenges or barriers encountered or anticipated by the department in meeting the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection [~~(a).~~] (a)(1).

(d) The department shall expedite the cooling of all public school classrooms to a temperature acceptable for student learning. When implementing classroom cooling measures, the department, and any contractor hired to implement classroom cooling measures, shall maximize energy efficiency and installation and operating cost savings over the entire life of the project.

(e) Pursuant to this section, the department shall include in the report the status of the implementation of measures taken to cool public school classrooms as required by subsection (d). The report shall include the following information:

(1) The number of completed classrooms in which cooling measures were implemented and the number of classrooms remaining that require cooling;

(2) The different types of cooling measures implemented;

(3) The approximate cost per classroom for planned cooling measures, including installation, upgrades, equipment, maintenance, and projected operating costs over the life of the installed cooling measures;

(4) The approximate cost per completed classroom for cooling measures implemented, including installation, upgrades, equipment, maintenance, and projected operating costs over the life of the installed cooling measures;

(5) The number of completed classrooms in which energy efficiency measures were installed or implemented and the number of classrooms remaining that require energy efficiency measures; and

(6) The different types of energy efficiency measures installed or implemented.

(f) The department shall develop procedures, guidelines, and standards for each public school to safely share excess food with those who need it and create and facilitate their own on-site campus composting program for all other food waste. Each on-site campus composting program shall utilize all applicable food waste and other organic material from the school's cafeteria and other home-brought food waste to the maximum extent practicable. The department shall ensure that each public school is on track to becoming net-zero with respect to food waste. The department may work with the department of health on procedures for the sharing of excess food, on-site campus composting program, and food waste mitigation.

(g) The department shall develop plans to locally source sixty per cent of produce and sixty per cent of animal proteins for meals offered in public schools, as measured by the percentage of funds spent on each annually. The department may incorporate local agricultural education, including positive environmental impacts, into its curriculum to the maximum extent practicable.

[~~(f)~~] (h) The department shall report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session. The report shall include information on:

(1) The overall progress toward the net-zero food waste goal set forth in subsection (a)(2);

(2) The number of public schools sharing excess food with others who need it;

(3) The approximate amount of food shared and where it was delivered;

(4) The number of public schools that have implemented on-site campus composting programs involving students;

(5) Different composting methods, procedures, and strategies used at different public schools;

(6) The approximate cost per public school to implement a successful composting program;

(7) Data regarding waste reduction and any related cost savings at public schools that have implemented successful composting programs;

(8) Plans and recommendations to advance the net-zero food waste goal set forth in subsection (a)(2);

(9) The percentage of produce and animal proteins sourced locally, and from where each came; and

(10) Plans and recommendations to advance the goal of locally sourcing sixty per cent of all animal proteins and sixty per cent of all produce purchased for meals offered in public school pursuant to subsection (a)(3)."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2740
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII