Report Title:

Food Security Commission; Special Fund

Description:

Establishes a food security commission to target nutritional issues in Hawaii. Establishes a special fund. (HB2059 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2059

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

Relating to the establishment of the food SECURITY commission.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. According to the United States Department of Agriculture's analysis of the Census Bureau's annual food security survey, thirty-one million people including twelve million children in the United States do not always have access to enough food to meet basic needs. One form of assistance is food stamps. However, food insecurity affects many households that are not eligible for federal assistance. The food stamp program helped only twenty-five per cent of food insecure households in Hawaii during 1999-2000.

There is a need for government vision, leadership, and funding to ensure that Hawaii residents have access to enough food to meet basic needs. Many of Hawaii’s needy rely on charitable food assistance rather than federally-funded food assistance programs as a first line of defense to stretch their food supply. Outreach to maximize use of federally-funded food stamp benefits and expand educational programs, are negligible in Hawaii, despite their proven cost-effectiveness. Dependence on charitable food assistance, while critical in an emergency, may perpetuate food insecurity.

The purpose of this Act is to affirm the State's commitment to ending food insecurity in Hawaii by establishing the food security commission.

SECTION 2. The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"CHAPTER

food security commission

§ -1 Definitions. As used in this chapter:

"Commission" means the food security commission.

"Department" means the department of business, economic development, and tourism, state office of planning.

"Director" means the director of the state office of planning.

"Food security" means the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.

§ -2 Food security commission. (a) There is established within the state office of planning a food security commission for administrative purposes as provided in section 26-35. The commission shall consist of a total of seventeen members. Eleven members shall be appointed by the governor pursuant to section 26-34 in the following manner:

(1) One member representing the retail food industry;

(2) One member representing a food warehouse;

(3) Two members representing charitable food providers;

(4) One member representing a hunger and research organization;

(5) One member representing a charitable food transport;

(6) One member representing a charitable food communication;

(7) Three members representing federally-funded programs; and

(8) One member representing an early childhood association.

The director, director of health, director of human services, director of agriculture, superintendent of education, and the dean of the college of tropical agriculture and human services or their designees shall serve as ex officio members.

(b) The chairperson of the commission shall be elected by the majority of the members of the commission.

§ -3 Duties and responsibilities. The commission shall:

(1) Assist with the coordination of federally-funded food and nutrition assistance programs;

(2) Facilitate collaboration between charitable food organizations, food retailers, food producers, and government food and nutrition assistance programs;

(3) Assure accountability through annual local food security monitoring and consolidation of information on federally-funded assistance programs into a biennial report to the legislature;

(4) Provide a clearinghouse of information about food security and food assistance resources and disseminate this information to the appropriate agencies and individuals in need of food security;

(5) Participate in efforts to increase local food production and related planning efforts;

(6) Facilitate funding to accomplish eliminating food insecurity;

(7) Submit legislation to address food security; and

(8) Manage the food security commission special fund.

§ -4 Compensation. The member of the food security commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.

§   -5 Food security commission special fund. There is established in the state treasury the food security commission special fund, into which shall be deposited:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature to the fund; and

(2) Contributions by private entities.

§   -6 Biennial report. The food security commission shall report biennially in odd-numbered years to the legislature no later that twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session beginning in 2003."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003 to be deposited into the food security commission special fund to carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the food security commission special fund the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003 to allow the food security commission to carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.