STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1948

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1300

S.D. 1

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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1300, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, expand free school meal coverage to students who currently qualify for reduced-price lunch;

(2) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, expand free school meal coverage to students whose family income is no more than three hundred percent of the federal poverty level; and

(3) Appropriate funds to the Department of Education to subsidize meal costs pursuant to this measure.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of the Kauaʻi County Council; City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency; City and County of Honolulu Office of Economic Revitalization; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Indivisible Hawaiʻi; AAUW of Hawaiʻi; Ka Ohana O Na Pua; Kauaʻi Climate Action Coalition; Hawaiʻi Youth Services Network; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Hui Aloha Aina o Honolulu; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; International Longshore & Warehouse Union International; International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142; UNITE HERE! Local 5; Aloha United Way; ALICE Initiative; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawaiʻi Foodbank; Maui Food Bank; American Heart Association; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; North Shore Nutrition; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor; Department of Education; one member of the Hawaiʻi County Council; Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaiʻi; AlohaCare; Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative; Kauaʻi Democratic Party; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaiʻi Hunger Action Network; Hawaiʻi Pacific Advisory Group; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union; Save Medicaid Hawaii; and numerous individuals.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1300, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair