STAND. COM. REP. NO. 698

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 249

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 249 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs within the Office of the Auditor;

(2) Fund grant-based programs to be administered through the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the establishment of three positions within the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs to support the State's programmatic goals.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, Local Food Coalition, Hawai‘i Food+ Policy, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Center for Getting Things Started, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Office of the Auditor.

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 to conduct compliance audits and fiscal reviews without interference from the Department of Education's School Food Services Branch.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs Agency in the Department of Human Services, and transferring all associated positions, books and records, and other relevant materials accordingly, rather than the Office of the Auditor;

(2) Clarifying the grant program established by this measure is for all schools in the State that participate in the United States Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs, rather than just the State's public schools;

(3) Clarifying that the Farm to School Coordinator shall head only the Farm to School Division within the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs Agency, rather than the Agency as a whole;

(4) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) 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 Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 249, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 249, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Homelessness,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair