STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1242
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: S.B. No. 894
S.D. 3
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 Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred S.B. No. 894, S.D. 3, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Education; University of Hawai‘i System; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawai‘i Food+ Policy; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; and three individuals.
Your Committee finds that despite the
State's commitment to sourcing thirty percent of school meals from local
farmers by 2030, only 6.14 percent of ingredients currently come from within
the State. Schools face significant
obstacles in meeting this goal, including outdated kitchen infrastructure,
inadequate storage, and limited capacity to handle fresh, unprocessed food. This measure allocates funding to modernize
school kitchens and dining facilities, allowing them to better prepare and
serve meals made with locally grown ingredients.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Specifying the various allocations related to the statewide regional kitchen expansion for the Department of Education for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027;
(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
Your Committee respectfully
requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to
consider an appropriation amount of $55,650,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 and
$16,500,000 for fiscal year 2026-2027, including:
(1) For fiscal year 2025-2026:
(A) $55,000,000 for additional design and construction funds to service Central, Leeward, and Windward District Complex Areas in the City and County of Honolulu through the expansion of the current Phase 1 Whitmore Regional Kitchen;
(B) $100,000
for a feasibility analysis for a second Oahu site to service Honolulu District Complex Areas in the City
and County of Honolulu to produce a minimum of forty thousand meals a day;
(C) $250,000
for a feasibility analysis for two sites to service the Hawaii District Complex
Areas in the County of Hawaii, with one site on the east side of the island to
produce a minimum of twelve thousand meals a day and one site on the west side
of the island to produce a minimum of fifteen thousand meals a day;
(D) $150,000
for a feasibility analysis for one site to service the Maui District Complex Areas, except Hana, Lanai,
and Molokai, in the County of Maui to produce a minimum of eighteen thousand
meals a day; and
(E) $150,000
for a feasibility analysis for one site to service the Kauai District Complex Areas
to produce a minimum of twelve thousand meals a day in the County of Kauai; and
(2) For fiscal year 2026-2027:
(A) $4,500,000
for further due diligence, planning, design, and land acquisition for the
additional site and assessment of the receiving school kitchens in the City and
County of Honolulu;
(B) $6,000,000
for further due diligence, design, and land acquisition for two sites and
assessment of the receiving school kitchens to service the Hawaii District Complex Areas
in the County of Hawaii, with one site on the east side of the island and one
site on the west side of the island;
(C) $3,000,000
for further planning, design, and land acquisition for one site and assessment of the receiving school
kitchens to service the Maui District Complex Areas in the County of Maui; and
(D) $3,000,000
for further planning, design, and land acquisition for one site and assessment
of the receiving school kitchens to service the Kauai District Complex Areas in
the County of Kauai.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 894, S.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 894, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Education.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,
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____________________________ KIRSTIN KAHALOA, Chair |
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