RELATING TO FOOD SECURITY.

HB2208

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2208

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to FOOD SECURITY
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

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SECTION
1.
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The legislature finds that one in
three households in Hawaii is struggling to secure consistent access to food,
and that two-thirds of these families are experiencing the most extreme version
of this � reducing food intake, skipping meals, or going whole days without
eating.
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This data paints a sobering
picture of families in distress, underscoring the need for immediate action to
restore the basic dignity of nourishment to every household across the islands.

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The
legislature further finds that the crisis disproportionately affects the most
vulnerable in Hawaii:
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the keiki.
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Thirty-four per cent of children in Hawaii
are growing up in food-insecure homes, some enduring entire days without a
meal.
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When experiencing hunger, keiki
can face increased risk of cognitive issues, aggression, anxiety, behavioral
problems, depression, and suicidal ideation; and in households with children,
food insecurity among parents and caretakers is especially high at forty-five
per cent.
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For families facing hunger,
fresh, healthy produce is often one of the first things removed from grocery
lists, negatively affecting long-term health.

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The legislature
additionally finds that this emergency also disproportionately impacts Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Island, Hispanic, and Filipino households, with food
insecurity in these households ranging from thirty-six to forty-seven per cent.
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These disparities are a reflection of
longstanding inequities in access to resources, economic opportunity, and
essential services.
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The legislature
believes that the State's communities should not bear this burden alone.

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The
legislature recognizes that Hawaii's food banks worked with over five hundred
agency partners, such as schools, community-based nonprofits, churches,
community centers, and food pantries, to distribute more than twenty-nine
million meals in 2025 to communities across the State.
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These numbers are as high as during the
height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the support systems available during the
COVID-19 pandemic are no longer in place.

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The
legislature also finds that, to bridge the gap between the State's food banks
and their partners to bring fresh, Hawaii-grown produce to families, food banks
have partnered with five hundred seventy-five local farms and food hubs to
create a consistent market for Hawaii agricultural producers, strengthening the
State's community food systems and creating a healthier, more resilient
Hawaii.
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For
example, the Hawaii Foodbank invested
over $13,000,000 in Hawaii-grown
produce over the last five years, which, using the local foods economic
multiplier, equates to an investment of nearly $20,000,000 in the State's local
economy.

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The
legislature notes that, as the cost of importing food continues to rise,
increasing the State's reliance on local agriculture is not only a sustainable
solution but also a necessary one.
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Farmers across Hawaii have the potential to grow more fresh, nutritious
food that can directly serve those most in need.
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By strengthening the connection between local
farmers and community food systems, the State can reduce its dependence on
imports and ensure that more families have access to Hawaii‑grown produce
like Okinawan sweet potato, choy sum, bok choy, long beans, breadfruit, kalo,
and more.

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The
legislature believes that programs that encourage partnerships between farmers
and food assistance programs can make a profound impact.
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By investing in Hawaii-grown agricultural
producers, the State can support not only local farmers but also the
communities they feed.
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This approach
aligns with the values of mālama
ʻ
āina--caring
for the land--and ensures that the State honors the deep connection between the
land and the people of Hawaii.
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Uplifting
local farmers will also uplift the entire community, fostering a more resilient
food system that can withstand future challenges.

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Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to establish and appropriate funds for the Hawaii
farm to
families
program to fund
food banks in the State to purchase, store, and transport fresh, Hawaii-grown
or -produced food to food insecure communities.
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This program will serve the State's food needs, provide Hawaii's agricultural
producers with a market to support their operations, and keep funds circulating
within the State to boost the local economy.

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SECTION
2.
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Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

"
Part .
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hawaii farm to Families program

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�346-
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Definitions.
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For
the purposes of this part:

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"Food bank" has the same meaning as
in title 7 United States Code section 7501(5).

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"Fresh, Hawaii-grown or -produced
food" means fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, eggs, poultry and poultry
products, livestock products, milk and milk products, aquacultural and
maricultural products, and horticultural products that are one hundred per cent
grown, raised, and harvested in Hawaii.

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�346-
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Hawaii farm to families program.
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(a)
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There is established the Hawaii farm to
families program to be administered by the department.
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Under the program, the department shall provide
funds to food banks located in the State to facilitate consistent supply chains
of fresh, Hawaii-grown or -produced food to food insecure communities.

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(b)
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Food banks that receive support pursuant to this section shall use the
funds to purchase, store, and transport fresh, Hawaii-grown or -produced food
in the State to recipients at no cost to the recipients.

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�346-
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Rules.
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The department shall adopt
rules pursuant to chapter 91 necessary for the purposes of this part."

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SECTION 3.
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The department of human services shall submit a report to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
sessions of 2027 and 2028 that contains a summary of the activities of the
Hawaii farm to families program established under this Act.

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SECTION
4.
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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 2026-2027 for the
administration of the Hawaii farm to families program and provision of funds to
food banks through the program.

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The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the
purposes of this Act.

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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Human services; Food Security; Hawaii Farm to F
amilies
Program; Reports; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Farm to
F
amilies
Program under the
Department of Human Services to alleviate food shortages in the State.
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Requires reports to the Legislature before
the Regular Sessions of 2027 and 2028.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.