STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2101-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.C.R. No. 171

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 171 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL COMMISSION TO PRIORITIZE THE HIRING OF DEDICATED STAFF TO MANAGE FEDERAL SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Urge the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to prioritize the hiring of dedicated staff for each school campus to manage federal school meal programs; and

(2) Request the Department of Education to seek federal funding to hire dedicated staff for each public school campus to manage federal meal programs.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission.

Your Committee finds that access to school meals is an important part of a student's health and well-being. Your Committee further finds that certain federal programs, including the United States Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program, provide aid for the provision of free and reduced meals for students. Your Committee notes that federal meal assistance programs are not being fully utilized, particularly in rural areas, due in part to a lack of dedicated staff to manage the programs. Your Committee believes that prioritizing staffing to administer and operate the federal meal assistance programs is of great importance to ensure the continued well-being of Hawaii's children.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 171, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 171, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair