STAND. COM. REP. NO. 319-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1779

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1779 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand free school meal coverage to all Department of Education students, beginning with the 2029-2030 school year.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; American Heart Association; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawaiʻi Hunger Action Network; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Parents and Children Together; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; Early Childhood Action Strategy; Edmar Castillo Photography; 50501 Hawaii and General Strike Hawaii; Lambda Law Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that access to healthy meals are critical to academic success. Your Committee further finds that, to ensure students of families with economic need receive a school meal, Act 139, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, was passed to expand free school meal coverage to students who currently qualify for reduced-price lunch beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and expand coverage to students whose family income is not more than three hundred percent of the federal poverty level beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. However, thousands of students across the State are still going hungry because of a lack of resources to guarantee consistent food security for themselves and their families. This measure ensures that all students in the State will be provided a school meal, regardless of their economic situation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring public charter schools to provide free meals to every public charter school student, regardless of a student's eligibility for participation in a federal school meals program, beginning with the 2029-2030 school year;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

(3) 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 H.B. No. 1779, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1779, 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