STAND. COM. REP. NO. 158

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 515

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 515 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Auditor to audit the Department of Education's School Food Services Branch to determine how much local produce is being purchased and served to students that the Branch is responsible for.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Education's School Food Services Branch is currently performing its own internal audit to evaluate the amount of local product purchased since the 2019-2020 school year. This measure will assist the Department in evaluating procurements from prior years to assess the baseline amounts of local produce purchased prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 515, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 515, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Agriculture.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair