STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3139

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1605

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1605, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience for the development of its Human and Community Resilience Institute.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, Feeding Hawaii Together, Hilo County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy, Early Childhood Action Strategy, East Oahu County Farm Bureau, and six individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.

Your Committee finds that recent federal funding changes have reduced the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's capacity in food and nutrition education. Despite these challenges, the College is uniquely positioned to help address the food resilience and nutritional security needs of local communities through its education and outreach programs. This measure will direct resources to establish a dedicated institute to stabilize and better align programs within a coordinated, data-driven framework to support families, youth, and agricultural communities statewide.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 31, 2055, to encourage further discussion; 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1605, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1605, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair