Legislative Alert: Support Farmers & Food Security
Three good food bills have been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Finance on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. in Conference Room 308 or via zoom.
Testimony is due Today, Wednesday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Please submit in support.
HB 247 HD1 Farm to State
This bill aligns Farm to School (Act 175) and Farm to State (Act 176) procurement goals. Sets consistent benchmarks for meeting farm to state procurement goals that are consistent across the various departments. Requires annual reporting to the legislature on progress or a plan for corrective action if benchmarks are not met.
Sample Testimony:
State procurement of locally grown food will create important new markets to support our local farmers. HB 247 creates necessary metrics, benchmarks and reporting mechanisms to ensure state agencies are meeting targets for ramping up procurement of local food. Increasing local food procurement in our state agencies is a win for local farmers and food producers while also providing nutritional meals students in Hawaii’s public schools and to others served foods in Hawaii’s state institutions.
Please support HB247.
Thank you for your consideration,
Your Name, Residence
HB690 HD1 Agricultural Investment Program
Establishes the Hawaii agricultural investment program to support local agricultural producers.
Sample Testimony:
HB 690 will establish the Hawaiʻi agriculture investment program to bolster agricultural production throughout the islands through the establishment of a dedicated funding source for the agricultural sector.
Please support SB690.
Thank you for your consideration,
Your Name, Residence
HB 540 HD1 Free School Lunch
Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, requires the department of education and public charter schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students.
Sample Testimony:
Nutrition is essential to all growing children and teenagers. It has been shown to vastly improve academic outcomes. However, there are still up to one in four children in Hawaiʻi that regularly go without enough nutritious meals at home. This means that for many children in Hawaiʻi, school breakfast and lunch are the most nutritious meals they get in a day. Being able to feed all students regardless of need at no cost to the students allows for us to remove the stigma of being on "Free/Reduced Lunch" programs, and also removes a huge burden from parents who will no longer have to worry about making sure their children are able to eat while at school.
Please support HB540.
Thank you for your consideration,
Your Name, Residence
