| 47 | | - | Section 1. The legislature finds that Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, mandates that the department of education serve school meals using thirty per cent locally sourced products by 2030. However, according to the 2024 annual report on farm-to-school meals, the percentage of locally sourced products remains at 6.14 per cent. The report highlights the challenges of increasing this percentage, including the effects of invasive species, agricultural theft, labor shortages, inadequate capital, and climate change. The legislature acknowledges that many schools struggle with outdated equipment and limited space to handle fresh food products effectively. Therefore, the department of education requires new and improved facilities such as regional kitchens to achieve the mandated thirty per cent goal. The legislature further finds that without a market incentive, local agricultural producers will not be able to scale up operations to meet the consistent production needs of the State. A statewide system of regional kitchens provides an opportunity to create broad market stimulation for local agricultural products from across the State: from rice grown on Kauai; pork products from Oahu; vegetables and fruits from Maui; to beef and dairy from Hawaii island. This market stimulation will provide the stability and revenues for local agriculture to scale up and provide more food and more jobs to local residents. The legislature notes that in order to efficiently and effectively create regional kitchens across the State, the department of education must identify and assess the appropriate sites on each island. Site selection, assessment, planning, and design must be conducted to best meet the needs of our students and ensure accessibility for farmers and agricultural producers. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of education for statewide regional kitchen expansion to fulfill its statutory mandate to provide farm to school meals that consist of at least thirty per cent locally sourced products. SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sums of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the purposes of this Act; provided that the sums appropriated shall be expended as follows: (1) For fiscal year 2025-2026: (A) $ for additional design and construction funds to service central, leeward, and windward district complex areas in the city and county of Honolulu through the expansion of the current phase 1 Whitmore regional kitchen; (B) $ for a feasibility analysis for a second Oahu site to service Honolulu district complex areas in the city and county of Honolulu to produce a minimum of forty thousand meals a day; (C) $ for a feasibility analysis for two sites to service the Hawaii district complex areas in the county of Hawaii, with one site on the east side of the island to produce a minimum of twelve thousand meals a day and one site on the west side of the island to produce a minimum of fifteen thousand meals a day; (D) $ for a feasibility analysis for one site to service the Maui district complex areas, except Hana, Lanai, and Molokai, in the county of Maui to produce a minimum of eighteen thousand meals a day; and (E) $ for a feasibility analysis for one site to service the Kauai district complex areas to produce a minimum of twelve thousand meals a day in the county of Kauai; and (2) For fiscal year 2026-2027: (A) $ for further due diligence, planning, design, and land acquisition for the additional site and assessment of the receiving school kitchens in the city and county of Honolulu; (B) $ for further due diligence, design, and land acquisition for two sites and assessment of the receiving school kitchens to service the Hawaii district complex areas in the county of Hawaii, with one site on the east side of the island and one site on the west side of the island; (C) $ for further planning, design, and land acquisition for one site and assessment of the receiving school kitchens to service the Maui district complex areas in the county of Maui; and (D) $ for further planning, design, and land acquisition for one site and assessment of the receiving school kitchens to service the Kauai district complex areas in the county of Kauai. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000. |
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| 47 | + | Section 1. The legislature finds that Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, mandates that the department of education serve school meals using thirty per cent locally sourced products by 2030. However, according to the 2024 annual report on farm-to-school meals, the percentage of locally sourced products remains at 6.14 per cent. The report highlights the challenges of increasing this percentage, including the effects of invasive species, agricultural theft, labor shortages, inadequate capital, and climate change. The legislature acknowledges that many schools struggle with outdated equipment and limited space to handle fresh food products effectively. Therefore, the department of education requires new and improved facilities such as regional kitchens to achieve the mandated thirty per cent goal. The legislature further finds that without a market incentive, local agricultural producers will not be able to scale up operations to meet the consistent production needs of the State. A statewide system of regional kitchens provides an opportunity to create broad market stimulation for local agricultural products from across the State: from rice grown on Kauai; pork products from Oahu; vegetables and fruits from Maui; to beef and dairy from Hawaii island. This market stimulation will provide the stability and revenues for local agriculture to scale up and provide more food and more jobs to local residents. The legislature notes that in order to efficiently and effectively create regional kitchens across the State, the department of education must identify and assess the appropriate sites on each island. Site selection, assessment, planning and design must be conducted to best meet the needs of our students and ensure accessibility for farmers and agricultural producers. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of education for statewide regional kitchen expansion to fulfill its statutory mandate to provide farm to school meals that consist of at least thirty per cent locally sourced products. SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the purposes of this Act; provided that the sums appropriated shall be expended as follows: (1) $ for the Honolulu, central, leeward, and windward district complex areas in the city and county of Honolulu; (2) $ for the Hawaii district complex areas in the county of Hawaii; (3) $ for the Maui district complex areas in the county of Maui; and (4) $ for the Kauai district complex area in the county of Kauai. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050. |
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