THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1189

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

Relating to Agriculture.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that supporting local agriculture and strengthening local food systems are matters of statewide concern that can improve the resilience of Hawaii's economy, environment, culture, and public health.  The legislature further finds that setting clear and ambitious goals for the purchase of locally grown food ensures that the State plays its role in supporting local farmers and guarantees that revenue derived from local produce remains in the State and feeds local people.  Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, established a programmatic goal for the department of education to provide a minimum of thirty per cent locally sourced food in Hawaii public school meals by 2030.  Act 176, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, also established five-year benchmarks ensuring a certain percentage of locally grown produce is purchased by state departments.

     The legislature also finds that existing goals have established different standards for various state departments.  Specifically, the department of education's programmatic goal to locally source at least thirty per cent of food served in public schools by 2030 is a higher threshold than other state departments.  Furthermore, the department of education's progress towards its goal suggests that other state departments should be held to the same standard for the benefit of the people of Hawaii.  The legislature believes that the goals to provide locally sourced food should be consistent across all pertinent state departments to avoid any confusion between departments.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Increase the percentages of local agricultural products that certain state departments and the university of Hawaii system are required to purchase by certain deadlines;

     (2)  Expand the annual reporting requirements to include total spending by certain market channels;

     (3)  Require each relevant state department and the university of Hawaii system to include a corrective action plan in its respective report to the legislature, should it not meet its benchmark;

     (4)  Repeal the separate benchmark for the department of education that requires thirty per cent of food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products by 2030; and

     (5)  Appropriate funds for the establishment of a farm-to-state liaison within the office of the governor to facilitate reporting requirements and procurement of locally grown food.

     SECTION 2.  Section 27-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:

     "(a)  The department of education, department of health, department of corrections and rehabilitation, department of defense, and [University] university of Hawaii system shall each ensure that a certain percentage of the food purchased for public schools, youth campuses, public hospitals, public prisons, and any purchases made directly by the [University] university of Hawaii for use in its academic programs, as applicable, is fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products, as follows:

     (1)  By January 1, 2025, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of ten per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost;

     (2)  By January 1, 2027, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of twenty‑five per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost;

    [(2)] (3)  By January 1, 2030, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of [eighteen] thirty per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost;

    [(3)] (4)  By January 1, 2035, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of [twenty-six] thirty-five per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost;

    [(4)] (5)  By January 1, 2040, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of [thirty-four] forty per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost;

    [(5)] (6)  By January 1, 2045, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of [forty-two] forty-five per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost; and

    [(6)] (7)  By January 1, 2050, fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products shall constitute a minimum of fifty per cent of the total food purchased during each calendar year, as measured by the per cent of total food cost.

     (b)  The department of education, department of health, department of corrections and rehabilitation, department of defense, and [University] university of Hawaii system shall each submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session on progress made toward meeting the benchmarks described in subsection (a), including:

     (1)  The total cost of food purchased during the calendar year preceding that regular session, or in the case of the department of education, during the school year preceding that regular session;

     (2)  The percentage of the total cost of food purchased during the calendar year preceding that regular session, accounted for by the total cost of fresh local agricultural products and local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products purchased, or in the case of the department of education, during the school year preceding that regular session; [and]

     (3)  Total spending by the following market channels:

          (A)  Directly from a farmer, fisher, rancher, or food processor;

          (B)  A food hub or farmer cooperative focused on local sourcing; and

          (C)  A specialty or broadline distributor; and

    [(3)] (4)  If the department or [University] university of Hawaii system did not meet the relevant benchmark described in subsection (a), an explanation of why the department or [University] university of Hawaii system did not meet that benchmark[.] and a corrective action plan with specific steps and deadlines to meet the benchmark."

     SECTION 3.  Section 302A-405.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

     ["[§302A-405.6]  Farm to school meals.  (a)  By 2030, the department shall meet the local farm to school meal goal that thirty per cent of food served in public schools shall consist of locally sourced products, as measured by the percentage of the total cost of food.

     (b)  The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, beginning with the regular session of 2022, containing the following information:

     (1)  The status of the department's progress in meeting the local farm to school meal goal;

     (2)  The percentage of food served in public schools that consists of locally sourced products, by county, as measured by the percentage of the total cost of food;

     (3)  The costs associated with the farm to school meals program and any savings realized;

     (4)  A list of all large purchases of locally sourced products and the identity of the seller;

     (5)  A list of meals on a school menu consisting of the largest percentage of locally sourced products, as measured by the percentage of the total cost of food;

     (6)  The percentage of fresh food served, by county, as measured by the percentage of the total cost of food;

     (7)  The percentage of processed food served, by county, as measured by the percentage of the total cost of food;

     (8)  A description of the training conducted to prepare cafeteria staff for cooking meals from scratch; and

     (9)  The percentage of locally sourced products purchased from the department's largest distributors, as measured by the percentage of the total cost of food.

     (c)  For the purposes of this section:

     "Fresh local agricultural products" means fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, eggs, poultry and poultry products, livestock and livestock products, milk and milk products, aquacultural and maricultural products, and horticultural products that are one hundred per cent grown, raised, and harvested in Hawaii.

     "Local value-added processed, agricultural, or food products" means at least fifty-one per cent of the product's primary agricultural product shall be grown, raised, and harvested in Hawaii.

     "Locally sourced products" means fresh local agricultural products or local value-added processed, agricultural, or food products.

     "Primary agricultural product" means the major agricultural product in a processed or value-added agricultural or food product."]

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent farm-to-state liaison position within the office of the governor to facilitate reporting requirements and procurement of locally grown food to meet the requirements of section 27-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the office of the governor for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025; provided that section 3 shall take effect on January 1, 2026.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

 

 

 

Report Title:

Food Contracts; Local Agricultural Products; Benchmarks; Reporting Requirements; Farm-to-State Liaison Position; Appropriations

 

Description:

Increases the percentages of local agricultural products that certain departments are required to purchase by certain deadlines.  Expands annual reporting requirements to include the total spending by certain market channels.  Requires certain departments and the University of Hawaii System to include a corrective action plan in their respective reports to the Legislature, should they not meet their benchmarks.  Repeals the separate benchmark for the Department of Education that requires thirty per cent of food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products by 2030.  Appropriates funds for the establishment of a farm-to-state liaison position within the Office of the Governor.

 

 

 

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