STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3542

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 171

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

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 and intent of this measure is to 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, including the National School Lunch Program, and to seek any related federal funding.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that access to school meals are an important part of a child's health and well-being. Your Committee further finds that federal meal assistance programs are not being fully utilized, particularly in rural areas, due in part to a lack of necessary staffing to administer and operate the programs. Accordingly, this measure promotes access to school meals by requesting the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to prioritize staffing to administer and operate school meal programs and to seek federal funding for such staffing to the fullest extent possible.

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 and recommends its adoption.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair