STAND. COM. REP. NO.  339

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2023

 

RE:   H.B. No. 248

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 248, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Department of Education to fully implement the Farm to School Program and Farm to School Meals Program by the 20242025 school year;

 

     (2)  Provide that Complex Area Superintendents have the authority to implement the Farm to School and Farm to School Meals Programs;

 

     (3)  Require certain school cafeteria supervisors to report directly to Complex Area Superintendents;

 

     (4)  Establish and appropriate funds for five school cafeteria supervisor positions; and

 

     (5)  Require the Department of Human Resources Development to conduct a compensation review for school cafeteria supervisor positions.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Health Institute; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaii Farmers Union United; North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership; Ka Ohana O Na Pua; Hawaii Farm Bureau; Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawaii Food+ Policy; Grow Some Good; Center for Getting Things Started; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Ulupono Initiative; and five individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Department of Human Resources Development.  

 

     Your Committee finds that the State has established ambitious farm to school goals through Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, which requires thirty percent of food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products by 2030.  Your Committee further finds that there is currently no mechanism in place to align the work done at the complex area to achieve these goals with the work done at individual schools.  To realign state goals and lines of responsibility and authority, responsibility for the attainment of farm to school goals must be transferred from the system level to the complex area level.  Complex area superintendents can provide appropriate oversight and collect data necessary to monitor a school's progress in meeting farm to school goals.  This measure will empower complex area superintendents to fully implement the Farm to School Program and Farm to School Meals Program will create more efficiencies in reaching the farm to school goals while enabling school complexes to regionalize their meals and support local food producers and suppliers.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Office of Talent Management of the Department of Education, rather than the Department of Human Resources Development, to conduct the compensation review of school cafeteria supervisor positions; and

 

     (2)  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. 248, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 248, H.D. 2.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair