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Committee clears bill to exempt certain DOE local-food purchases from procurement code
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Summary
SB659 SD2 HD1 passed as-is; the bill would allow the Department of Education to procure fresh local agricultural and value-added food products under an exemption and require DOE to set geographic-preference guidelines to support farm-to-school goals.
The House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems voted March 19 to pass SB659 SD2 HD1, a measure that would exempt some Department of Education purchases of fresh local agricultural and value‑added food products from parts of the Hawaii procurement code and require DOE to establish geographic-preference guidelines for locally sourced products.
Deputy Superintendent Dean Ochida appeared for the Department of Education and said the department stood on written testimony in support. Sharon Hurd of the Department of Agriculture and representatives of farm and food advocates described the bill as a tool to reach the state’s farm-to-school target, often called “30 by 30,” which aims to increase local procurement in school meals.
Multiple organizations — including the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Public Health Institute and the City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency — testified in support. The State Procurement Office’s administrator, Bonnie Kahakui, said the office provided comments and opposed changes in one section of the bill.
Supporters said the exemption would make it easier for DOE, the state’s largest food purchaser, to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and aquaculture products from local growers and processors. Micah Munro (testimony recorded as Micah Munikata) of the Ulupono Initiative said, “If we're really serious about putting more local food in our school meals, then we're gonna have to make difficult decisions, and we're gonna have to take a step outside the box.”
Chair Kirsten Kahaloa said the committee recognized the State Procurement Office’s objections but wanted to retain the exemption as a policy tool to meet farm-to-school goals. The committee passed the bill unamended; the committee record showed broad support with eight testifiers in support, no opposition and one comment submitted.
The committee recorded the following votes: Chair Kirsten Kahaloa (aye), Vice Chair Cush (aye), Representative Peruso (aye), Representative Lowen (aye) and Representative Quinlan (aye); Representative Ward was noted as excused. The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the measure as is.
