STAND. COM. REP. NO. 269-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2430

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2430 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor; Department of Human Services; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawaii Farm Bureau; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Procurement Department and Office of Education.

Your Committee finds that only 7.6 percent of the low-income students who get free or reduced-price school lunch during the academic year also get free lunch at summer camps, summer schools, or other summer programs through the federal Summer Food Service Program. Your Committee further finds that establishing the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program will help Hawaii's low-income families obtain food for their children over the summer and notes that the United States Department of Agriculture estimates this program would provide nearly one hundred thousand Hawaii families with increased access to nutritious meals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Human Services to be in compliance, rather than exempt from, the State's procurement codes when contracting with providers;

(2) Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts;

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider appropriation amounts of $53,500 to be expended by the Department of Education and $2,050,000 to be expended by the Department of Human Services.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2430, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2430, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair