STAND. COM. REP. NO. 89

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 430

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 430 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII FARM TO FOOD BANK PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Hawaii Farm to Food Bank Program and Hawaii Food Assistance Program Special Fund to alleviate food shortages in the State; and

(2) Appropriate moneys.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Office of Community Services; Department of Agriculture; Hawai‘i Primary Care Association; North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawai‘i Food Bank; Hawai‘i SEED; Hawai‘i Farmers Union United; Ulupono Initiative; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and State Procurement Office.

Your Committee finds that food security is a critical issue for the State, where one in six residents lack consistent access to healthy and nutritious food. Your Committee further finds that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic greatly exacerbated this issue and has severely threatened the health and welfare of Hawaii residents, particularly the underprivileged and most desperate. This measure establishes the Hawaii Farm to Food Bank Program to alleviate future food shortages, propel the statewide effort to bolster food security across the islands, and stimulate the economy by keeping money spent on food within the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adopting language provided by the State Procurement Office to require procurements executed by the Hawaii Farm to Food Bank Program to be subject to the Hawaii Public Procurement Code, when used for goods, services, or construction that directly benefits the Office of Community Services; and

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

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 S.B. No. 430, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 430, 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