STAND. COM. REP. NO.  564

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

 

RE:   H.B. No. 424

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

 

Madame:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 424 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Department of Education to provide free breakfast and lunch to students enrolled in a Department of Education school who meet certain requirements, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year; and

 

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the total plate costs associated with providing the free school breakfasts and lunches.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Youth Services Network; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaiʻi Food Bank; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; and four individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education and AlohaCare.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that students who are hungry or malnourished are likely to face difficulties with concentration and academic performance.  Your Committee believes that providing free school meals can help ensure that students have equal opportunities to succeed academically regardless of their socioeconomic status.

 

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that the price for school meals shall be set by the Department of Education to ensure that monies received from the sale of the meals shall be no more than one-quarter of the cost of preparing meals; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000.

 

     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. 424, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 424, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair