Bill > HB335

This bill establishes a two-year pilot program requiring the Hawaii Department of Education to provide free school lunches to all students in department schools, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The program mandates that free lunches meet federal meal requirements and ensures that no student can be denied a meal for failure to pay. The department is required to develop administrative rules for the program and submit two reports to the legislature: an interim report before the 2026 regular session and a final report before the 2027 regular session, which must include recommendations on whether the program should become permanent. The bill appropriates an unspecified amount of state general revenue funds to cover the total plate costs after federal funding, with the understanding that the pilot program will automatically terminate on June 30, 2027, unless further legislative action is taken. The bill modifies existing statutes related to school meal pricing and ensures that the implementation of free lunches does not jeopardize any existing federal aid programs.

Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=335&year=2026