STAND. COM. REP. NO. 43

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 497

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 Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 497 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Transfer the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs Agency from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture; and

(2) Appropriate funds for grants to be administered by the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs Agency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaiʻi Youth Food Council; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Education; and Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs is the state agency link between the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and local program operators and plays a critical role in ensuring the State meets its programmatic goal of providing at least thirty percent locally grown food in the State's public schools by 2030. Currently, the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs is attached to the Department of Education under the Board of Education. Your Committee finds that it would be more appropriate for the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs to be independent from the Department of Education to allow the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs greater independence, efficiency, and flexibility in conducting compliance audits and fiscal reviews.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language establishing standards for the distribution of the funds appropriated in this measure as grants under the program administered by the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs Agency;

(2) Amending the preamble;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 497, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 497, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair