House committee advances SB 894 SD3 to fund regional school kitchens aimed at boosting local farm-to-school sourcing

Chair Kirsten Kahaloa presided over the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems’ March 13 hearing and decision on SB 894 SD3, a bill that would appropriate state funds to expand regional school kitchens intended to help the Department of Education reach a 30% local food goal in public school meals.

The Department of Education testified in support. Dean Uchida, deputy superintendent with the Department of Education, said the department “stands on our written testimony in support of this measure” and offered to answer questions from the committee. The University of Hawaii System and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture also told the committee they support the measure; Cedric Gates of the Department of Agriculture said the department “stands in strong support of this measure, and we defer to [the Department of Education] for establishing the regional kitchens in each county.”

A representative from the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) told the committee that regional kitchen infrastructure could be repurposed in emergencies to provide meals at school shelters and described the proposal as a tool for food-security and economic resilience. The DBEDT representative said the state-level infrastructure would help keep procurement dollars in Hawai‘i if federal funding for local procurement declines, adding, “That is true resiliency. Having that infrastructure in place.”

Community and industry witnesses also supported the bill. Sean Kamisato, a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa student, testified in support and said expanding regional kitchens would increase local farmers’ revenue, create local jobs and improve student nutrition. A representative of the Hawaii Farm Bureau registered written support; the Agribusiness Development Corporation and other organizations submitted support as well.

During questioning, a committee member asked about cost estimates. Members referenced figures included in the Department of Education’s testimony: roughly $55,000,000 for expansion and construction at the Whitmore site (noted for the initial phase) and an additional $16.5 million for fiscal year 2027. Dean Uchida confirmed the proposal was not included in the governor’s budget.

Representative Amy Perruso opposed the measure on fiscal and local-impact grounds. Perruso said the Council on Revenues’ recent projection of an economic slowdown and the bill’s additional appropriation—separate from the governor’s budget—made it difficult to support the measure. She also raised concerns about siting the Whitmore facility in a small village with “one road in and out,” saying that location could have “very negative ways” of affecting the local community.

In the committee’s decision-making session, the chair moved to create a House Draft 1 with technical amendments for clarity, consistency and style; to update the bill’s appropriation line items to match the Department of Education’s request while leaving fiscal-year split amounts blank in the measure (the committee said the standing committee report will include the specific appropriation figures); and to set the bill’s effective date as stated in the committee action. The motion did not list a mover or second in the transcript.

The committee voted to adopt the chair’s recommendation to pass SB 894 SD3 with amendments. The transcript records Chair Kirsten Kahaloa and Vice Chair Cush voting aye, Representative Lowen voting aye, and Representative Amy Perruso voting no; Representatives Quinlan and Ward were recorded as excused/absent. The chair announced the recommendation was adopted and adjourned the meeting.

The committee’s changes were described as technical and administrative: drafting a House Draft 1, reformatting appropriation tables to align with DOE’s request and leaving specific fiscal-year amounts to the committee report rather than placing them directly in the bill text. The transcript does not specify the total appropriation amounts that will appear in the standing committee report, beyond the department’s previously cited line-item figures for the Whitmore phase and FY2027.

Votes at a glance SB 894 SD3 — relating to education; appropriates funds to the Department of Education for regional kitchen expansion to support the goal that 30% of school food be locally sourced — Committee recommendation: Pass with amendments (House Draft 1); Committee outcome: approved.

What’s next The committee adopted the recommendation to pass SB 894 SD3 with amendments. The transcript records that the committee will reflect appropriation amounts in the standing committee report; the bill was not included in the governor’s budget, according to testimony on the record.