STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2421

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 594

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 594, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide increased access to meals for students attending public schools.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Education to implement a school meal subsidy program for income-eligible public school students who do not qualify for a free lunch under the free and reduced price lunch program;

(2) Requires the Department of Education to adopt rules to implement the program; and

(3) Appropriates funds for the program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that many families having incomes near the poverty line do not qualify for their children to receive free or reduced price lunches, but yet they cannot provide, or struggle to provide, their children with nutritionally complete school lunches. Appropriating funds to provide lunches for these children will help to ensure that children have access to the proper nutrition and calories necessary for them to perform to their full academic potential.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending section 3 to delete the appropriation for fiscal year 2019-2020 and to provide for an appropriation only in fiscal year 2020-2021; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

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. 594, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 594, 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