| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that setting a target goal of thirty per cent of food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products, as established pursuant to Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, is of great benefit for the health of Hawaii's students. The legislature further finds that the Aina Pono program has been considered a success, particularly in the Mililani and Kohala school districts, with evidence showing increased student meal participation, reduced food waste, cost savings, and a significant rise in locally sourced food served in school cafeterias. The program is seen as a positive step toward educating students about fresh, local food options while supporting local farmers. The legislature further finds that diversifying school meal offerings to include more fresh and minimally processed options can enhance student health outcomes and provide an opportunity to support local agriculture. The legislature additionally finds that a plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the chance of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers, among other things. Offering a variety of diets, including plant-based meals, can also greatly increase demand for local greens and promote local farming jobs and agriculture. Schools around the United States have increased their offering of plant-based school lunches with New York City offering daily plant-based meal options and California's twenty-five largest school districts providing vegan options on more than half of middle and high school menus. Providing plant-based meals to students can promote not only a healthy lifestyle for the State's youth but encourage students to make environmentally conscious personal decisions. The purpose of this Act is to: (1) Require the department of education to authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual public schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships to meet the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030; and (2) Authorize the department of education to establish a plant-based meal program to provide a plant-based meal as an option under the school meals program. SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§302A- Farm to school meals; complex areas; school plans. (a) The department shall authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual public schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships with nonprofit organizations or private entities in order for the department to reach the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the public schools to consist of locally sourced products by 2030, pursuant to section 302A-405.6. (b) The department shall collaborate with the complex areas or individual public schools and the farm to school providers to ensure that the department meets the local farm to school meal goal. (c) Notwithstanding section 102-2, each public school, subject to approval of the superintendent, may accept donations or contributions from individuals, nonprofit organizations, or private entities to support the farm to school meal program, including support through the procurement of locally grown food items, the establishment of sustainable school meal practices, and use of locally grown food items in school cafeterias under the school food services branch. (d) The department shall ensure that each individual public school participating in its own farm to school program maintain data and metrics to track their progress for the department to meet the local farm to school meal goal." SECTION 3. (a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the department of education may establish a plant-based meal program to provide a plant-based meal as an option under the school meals program. (b) As part of the program, the department of education may establish a day within the school week to provide plant-based options for school meals. (c) If the department establishes a plant-based meal program pursuant to subsection (a), the department shall: (1) Submit an interim report on the progress of the plant-based meal program to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027; and (2) Submit a final report on the plant-based meal program, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2028. (d) The plant-based meal program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2028. (e) For the purposes of this section, "plant-based meal" means a meal consisting of all minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs, and spices and that excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that setting a target goal of thirty per cent of food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products, as established pursuant to Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, is of great benefit for the health of Hawaii's students. The legislature further finds that the Aina Pono program has been considered a success, particularly in the Mililani and Kohala school districts, with evidence showing increased student meal participation, reduced food waste, cost savings, and a significant rise in locally sourced food served in school cafeterias. The program is seen as a positive step toward educating students about fresh, local food options while supporting local farmers. The legislature further finds that diversifying school meal offerings to include more fresh and minimally processed options can enhance student health outcomes and provide an opportunity to support local agriculture. The legislature additionally finds that a plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the chance of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers, among other things. Offering a variety of diets, including plant-based meals, can also greatly increase demand for local greens and promote local farming jobs and agriculture. Schools around the United States have increased their offering of plant-based school lunches with New York City offering daily plant-based meal options and California's twenty-five largest school districts providing vegan options on more than half of middle and high school menus. Providing plant-based meals to students can promote not only a healthy lifestyle for the State's youth but encourage students to make environmentally conscious personal decisions. The purpose of this Act is to: (1) Require the department of education to authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual department schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships to meet the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030; and (2) Authorize the department of education to establish a plant-based meal program to provide a plant-based meal as an option under the school meals program. SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§302A- Farm to school meals; complex areas; school plans. (a) The department shall authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual department schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships with nonprofit organizations or private entities in order for the school to reach the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030, pursuant to section 302A-405.6. (b) The department shall collaborate with the complex areas or individual department schools and the farm to school providers to ensure that each school meets the local farm to school meal goal. (c) The department may accept donations or grants from individuals and other agencies, public and private, for the purposes of supporting the farm to school meal programs. (d) The department shall ensure that each individual department school participating in their own farm to school program maintain data and metrics to track their progress on meeting the local farm to school meal goal." SECTION 3. (a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the department of education may establish a plant-based meal program to provide a plant-based meal as an option under the school meals program. (b) As part of the program, the department of education may establish a day within the school week to provide plant-based options for school meals. (c) If the department establishes a plant-based meal program pursuant to subsection (a), the department shall: (1) Submit an interim report on the progress of the plant-based meal program to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027; and (2) Submit a final report on the plant-based meal program, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2028. (d) The plant-based meal program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2028. (e) For the purposes of this section, "plant-based meal" means a meal consisting of all minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs, and spices and that excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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