THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2169
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to Food ASSISTANCE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that one in six Hawaii residents currently faces food insecurity, including nearly one in four children. The legislature further finds that more than eighty-two thousand children in the State are projected to struggle with hunger in 2022, placing Hawaii as a state with the second highest rate of child food insecurity in the country.

The legislature also finds that food banks in Hawaii have been distributing food to persons in need in the State for close to forty years. Hawaii's food banks ensure that persons who are food insecure are provided with food and nutrition assistance by sourcing food through donations, purchases, and federal programs including The Emergency Food Assistance Program; inspecting the donated food to ensure its safety for consumption; and distributing the food to those in need through a network of eligible recipient agencies across the State, including food pantries, community programs, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.

The legislature finds that The Emergency Food Assistance Program in Hawaii is administered by the department of labor and industrial relations' office of community services. The office established a statewide operational system for the federal program by entering into contracts with a food bank for each of the State's four counties, to establish, maintain, and supervise a network of eligible recipient agencies that distribute food received through the federal program in designated areas of each county.

The four Hawaii food banks currently administering The Emergency Food Assistance Program at the county-level in the State are the Hawaii Foodbank, Inc., which serves the city and county of Honolulu; Maui Food Bank, Inc., which serves the county of Maui; Hawaii Foodbank, Inc.'s Kauai branch, which serves the county of Kauai; and The Food Basket, Inc., which serves the county of Hawaii. All Hawaii food banks follow the highest standards of food safety and maintain strict standards of food distribution and recordkeeping.

The legislature acknowledges that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic heavily impacted food security levels in Hawaii. During fiscal year 2018-2019, the four Hawaii food banks collectively distributed 16,800,000 pounds of food statewide. The volume of food collectively distributed by the banks in fiscal year 2020-2021 increased to 36,500,000 pounds, which is more than double the volume distributed before the pandemic. The levels of food insecurity in Hawaii are expected to remain elevated for at least another year following the conclusion of the pandemic.

The Hawaii food banks administering The Emergency Food Assistance Program were able to meet the State's increased need for food during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to a major increase in federal funds and philanthropy. However, funding from these sources have declined considerably, and the food banks do not have sufficient funds to continue to meet the food security needs of Hawaii residents.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to enable Hawaii's food banks administering The Emergency Food Assistance Program to continue to meet the food security needs of the people of Hawaii during this time of unprecedented need due to the disturbances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to fund the operating expenses of Hawaii Foodbank, Inc.; Maui Food Bank, Inc.; Hawaii Foodbank, Inc.'s Kauai branch; and The Food Basket, Inc., including expenses for staffing, transportation, food purchase, food storage, and food distribution.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of labor and industrial relations' office of community services for the purposes of this Act; provided that the sum shall be allocated to the four food banks by utilizing the priorities system set forth in title 7 Code of Federal Regulations section 251.4(h), which is used to determine the distribution of food from The Emergency Food Assistance Program.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Food Banks; The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Office of Community Services; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to fund the operating expenses of the four Hawaii food banks contracted by the Office of Community Services to administer The Emergency Food Assistance Program in each of the State's counties.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.