STAND. COM. REP. NO.  400

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 198

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 198 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to increase schools' opportunities to include fresh produce in the school meals program by authorizing schools to:

 

     (1)  Grow food in school gardens for consumption in the school meals program; and

 

     (2)  Purchase fresh local produce under the school meals program.

 

     The Department of Education and a concerned individual provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Removing provisions authorizing the purchase of fresh local produce;

 

     (2)  Requiring that food grown in a school garden and used in a school meals program be inspected and certified as safe by the Department of Agriculture; 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. 198, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 198, 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