STAND. COM. REP. NO. 329

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 377

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 377 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL NUTRITION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Establish public school nutrition standards and nutrition education training requirements for food service managers;

(2) Require the Department of Education (DOE) to encourage schools to provide culturally appropriate nutrition education; and

(3) Provide farm-to-table nutrition education programs.

DOE, the College of Tropical Agriculture, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Department of Health and American Heart Association testified in support of the bill's intent. The Grocery Manufacturers of America testified in opposition to this bill. The Legislative Information Services of Hawaii provided comments on the measure.

Your Committee finds that nutritional standards must be developed with regard to food offered to students at public schools, to promote a healthy diet and to combat the rising cases of obesity which affect many of our island keiki.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Removing language that references any other type of food offering, other than cafeteria meals or beverages;

(2) Clarifying that the bill is not intended to prohibit or limit the sale or distribution of any food or beverage item through fundraisers by students, teachers, or groups when the items are intended for sale off the school campus; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 377, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 377, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair