THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1311

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to sustainable schools.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii imports more than six million pounds of food on a daily basis at a cost of more than $3,000,000,000 per year.  An increase in locally sourced proteins and produce will simultaneously improve food quality and public health, boost the local economy, and improve overall state resiliency.

     The legislature further finds that educating and engaging students about locally sourced foods and native Hawaiian food crops can also provide students with valuable lessons about their own health, culture, carbon footprints, and waste footprints.

     The legislature also finds that traditional internal combustion school bus engines emit exhaust, which children breathe in while riding buses and sitting in traffic, and can increase asthma and other health problems.  In contrast, electric school buses provide potential benefits to the quality of student health, the environment, utility infrastructure, and cost savings.  Additionally, electric buses have lower operational, maintenance, and labor costs than comparable buses powered by internal combustion engines, and align with Hawaii's established goals of achieving a carbon-negative economy by 2045.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to add long-term targets to the sustainable schools initiative to:

     (1)  Locally source sixty per cent of school meals; and

     (2)  Transition to zero emissions transportation

in Hawaii's public schools.

     SECTION 2.  Section 302A-1510, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§302A-1510[]]  Sustainable schools initiative.  (a)  The department shall establish [a goal] goals of [becoming]:

     (1)  Becoming net-zero with respect to energy use, producing as much renewable energy as the department consumes across all public school facilities, by January 1, 2035[.];

     (2)  Transitioning to zero emissions vehicles for all school-related transportation, including any contracts for transportation, by January 1, 2035; and

     (3)  Locally sourcing sixty per cent of all animal proteins and sixty per cent of all produce purchased for meals offered in public schools, as measured by the percentage of funds spent on each annually, by January 1, 2035.

     (b)  The department is encouraged to engage students and incorporate the sustainable schools initiative elements into curriculum, as appropriate.

     [(b)] (c)  The department shall use the amount and value of energy consumed by the department across all public school facilities during the 2015-2016 fiscal year as the benchmark for measuring the department's progress toward the energy usage goal set forth in subsection [(a).] (a)(1).

     [(c)  The department shall submit an annual report that shall include information on:

     (1)  The overall progress toward the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection (a);

     (2)  Its plans and recommendations to advance the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection (a); and

     (3)  Any challenges or barriers encountered or anticipated by the department in meeting the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection (a).]

     (d)  The department shall expedite the cooling of all public school classrooms to a temperature acceptable for student learning.  When implementing classroom cooling measures, the department, and any contractor hired to implement classroom cooling measures, shall maximize energy efficiency and installation and operating cost savings over the entire life of the project.

     (e)  Not later than twenty days before the regular session of 2022, and each regular session thereafter, the department shall submit an annual report that shall include information on:

     (1)  The overall progress toward the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection (a)(1);

     (2)  The department's plans and recommendations to advance the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection (a)(1); and

     (3)  Any challenges or barriers encountered or anticipated by the department in meeting the net-zero energy goal set forth in subsection (a)(1).

     (f)  The department shall include in the report submitted pursuant to subsection (e) the department's progress toward the zero emissions transportation goal, including:

     (1)  A current assessment of current transportation contracts and vehicle inventory;

     (2)  The overall progress toward the zero emissions transportation goal set forth in subsection (a)(2);

     (3)  The department's plans and recommendations to advance the zero emissions transportation goal set forth in subsection(a)(2); and

     (4)  Any challenges or barriers encountered or anticipated by the department in meeting the zero emissions transportation goal set forth in subsection (a)(2).

     (g)  The department shall include in the report submitted pursuant to subsection (e) the department's progress toward the goal of locally sourcing sixty per cent of produce and sixty per cent of animal proteins for meals offered in public schools, as measured by the percentage of funds spent on each annually, and shall include:

     (1)  The overall progress toward the goal of locally sourcing sixty per cent of produce and sixty per cent of animal proteins set forth in subsection (a)(3);

     (2)  The percentage of produce and animal proteins sourced locally each year, and the respective source of each;

     (3)  The diversity of local ingredients incorporated into school lunches;

     (4)  Surveys on student satisfaction with meals prepared using locally sourced food; and

     (5)  Plans and recommendations to advance the goal of locally sourcing sixty per cent of all animal proteins and sixty per cent of all produce purchased for meals offered in public school pursuant to subsection (a)(3)."

     [(e)  Pursuant to this section, the] (h)  The department shall include in the report the status of the implementation of measures taken to cool public school classrooms as required by subsection (d).  The report shall include the following information:

     (1)  The number of completed classrooms in which cooling measures were implemented and the number of classrooms remaining that require cooling;

     (2)  The different types of cooling measures implemented;

     (3)  The approximate cost per classroom for planned cooling measures, including installation, upgrades, equipment, maintenance, and projected operating costs over the life of the installed cooling measures;

     (4)  The approximate cost per completed classroom for cooling measures implemented, including installation, upgrades, equipment, maintenance, and projected operating costs over the life of the installed cooling measures;

     (5)  The number of completed classrooms in which energy efficiency measures were installed or implemented and the number of classrooms remaining that require energy efficiency measures; and

     (6)  The different types of energy efficiency measures installed or implemented.

     [(f)] (i)  The department shall report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2021.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

DOE; Sustainable Schools Initiative; Electric Transportation; Locally Sourced Food

 

Description:

Requires the department of education to establish food waste and zero-emission vehicle goals as part of the sustainable schools initiative.  Requires annual reports to the legislature.

 

 

 

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