STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1185

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1293

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1293, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to temporarily:

(1) Exempt Department of Education purchases of local edible produce and packaged food products less than a certain amount from the electronic procurement system requirement;

(2) Require at least three written quotes for Department of Education purchases of local edible produce and packaged food products between certain amounts; and

(3) Require at least two written quotes for Department of Education purchases of local edible produce and packaged food products between certain amounts for certain schools in rural communities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Agriculture; Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency of the City and County of Honolulu; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; MetroGrow Hawaii; Local Food Coalition; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; and nine individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Procurement Office.

Your Committee finds that existing law requires the Department of Education to serve school meals containing a minimum of thirty percent of locally sourced food products. Presently, the Department of Education is the only department with a small purchase procurement threshold of $25,000, dramatically limiting the ability of schools to purchase local foods, as these amounts typically exceed this threshold. Therefore, this measure empowers the Department of Education to meet its statutory obligation to serve healthy, nutritious meals to students utilizing local products while creating greater flexibility under existing provisions of the Hawaii Public Procurement Code.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1293, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1293, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair