STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1089

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 428

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 428, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FARM TO FAMILIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Hawaii Farm to Families Program to alleviate food shortages in the State;

(2) Require reports to the Legislature before the Regular Sessions of 2026 and 2027; and

(3) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui; one member of the Kauaʻi County Council; Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaiʻi; Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency of the City and County of Honolulu; Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board No. 34; Hawaiʻi FoodBank; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; The Food Basket Inc., Hawaiʻi Island's Food Bank; Maui Food Bank; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaiʻi Pacific Health; Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church; Hawaiʻi Ulu Cooperative; Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition; Climate Protectors Hawaii; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Kupuna Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Hunger Action Network; Pele Lani Farm LLC; Kulia I Ka Nuʻu Outreach Services; 350Hawaii.org; Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Maui Chamber of Commerce; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; Hale Mahaolu Property Management, LLC.; ʻĀina Hoʻokupu O Kīlauea; ʻEleʻele Elementary School; Hoʻokipa Kauai Food Pantry; Kauai Advisory Board for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank; Kalāheo Elementary School; Kapaʻa Elementary School; Kapaʻa Middle School; Kauai Glory Farm; Kilauea School, Kauaʻi; Mental Health Kokua; Nanas House; St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church; Tokabago Farm LLC; Hale Pono Ewa Beach Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii; First Assembly of God Central Oahu; Fresh Aloha Direct; Giving Hope Hawaii; Hands of Hope; Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center; Immaculate Conception Church; Alternative Structures International dba Kahumana; Kalihi Union Church; Kobayashi Sugita & Goda; The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center; Lokoea Farms; OLPH Food Ministry Pantry; Our Lady of Sorrows Church; Owen K. Kaneshiro Farms LLC; The Queen's Care Coalition; Saint Pius X Catholic Church; Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church; Sugarland Growers; Waimānalo Elementary & Intermediate School; Wong Hon Hin Inc.; Young Brothers; Hawaiian Electric; Kauai Climate Action Coalition and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that farm-to-food bank programs are essential to bridging the gap between local farmers and food insecure families in the State. The program proposed in this measure seeks to relieve food shortages by providing funds to food banks to purchase, store, and transport food that is grown, raised, and harvested in the State to food insecure communities. Your Committee recognizes that this measure is necessary more than ever to address food insecurity in the State, especially given the rising costs of food and the recent recission of potential federal funding for local food assistance programs. This measure aims to strengthen food supply chains, empower local farmers, and improve local access to nutritious food.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee notes that this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $2,000,000 for the Hawaii Farm to Families Program.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 428, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 428, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair