STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1368

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 154

S.D. 1

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 Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 154, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Department of Education to develop and implement a School Meal Subsidy Program to provide school lunch subsidies to children whose families do not otherwise qualify for free lunch under the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, subject to income eligibility.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Hawai‘i Hunger Action Network, Hawai‘i Farmers Union United, Malama Kaua‘i, and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education and Executive Office on Early Learning.

Your Committee finds that the National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program for schools that provides daily low-cost or free meals to children from households making a certain income. Your Committee further finds that the Department of Education estimates that up to fifteen thousand children each year from gap groups do not qualify for the National School Lunch Program. Your Committee believes that providing equal access to food services for students ensures that all public school students are provided quality education and school meals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to March 30, 3000; and

(2) 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 S.B. No. 154, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 154, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair