The Senate Committee on Education advanced Senate Bill 1300 with amendments after hearing extended testimony about expanding meal subsidies for students from households designated ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).

The committee’s recommended amendments incorporate the Attorney General’s suggestion that the Legislature either expressly establish a statutory program with standards or require the Department of Education to adopt administrative rules to implement subsidies. The committee blanked the appropriation but noted in the committee report that the Department of Education requested $11,700,000.

“Students do better in school when they've had a full meal,” testified Sarah Tochigi on behalf of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, urging support for expanded meal access in light of Hawaii’s high cost of living. Nate Hicks of the Hawaii Public Health Institute said over 80% of voters support free school meals for all students and urged broader eligibility beyond ALICE.

DOE deputy superintendent Dean Ochida told senators current free lunch participation is about 36%, reduced-price about 8%, and that the ALICE group was estimated at an additional roughly 8%, which the department said would make the combined share about 52% in some extrapolations. Ochida and other witnesses said the department needs to balance menu changes, USDA reimbursement requirements and food waste monitoring when considering program expansion.

Advocates including Hawaii Appleseed and the Hawaii Food Industry Association urged broader coverage and suggested technical amendments to reduce paperwork barriers that can deter eligible families. The Attorney General’s office suggested either statutory direction or explicit rulemaking authority so the DOE can adopt administrative rules and ensure constitutional standards for benefit programs.

The committee recorded a roll-call vote adopting the recommendation to amend and advance the bill (4 ayes, 1 excused). The committee report will reflect the DOE-requested funding amount and the adopted language calling for DOE rulemaking to effectuate the subsidy program.