STAND. COM. REP. NO. 763

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 789

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 789, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL CAFETERIA MEAL COSTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to reduce from one-half to one-quarter the proportion that the price of a school meal represents in relation to the cost of preparing the meal.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that reducing the price-to-cost ratio of school meals will allow the Department of Education to meet the statutory local farm to school meal goal without raising the price charged for school meals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by repealing the measure on January 1, 2031, if the Department of Education fails to meet the local farm to school meal goal under section 302A‑405.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 789, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 789, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair