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SB2677 • 2026

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

Budget Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
RHOADS, ELEFANTE, LAMOSAO, LEE, C., SAN BUENAVENTURA
Last action
2026-01-28
Official status
Referred to EDU, WAM.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

What This Bill Does

  • RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.
  • Keiki Caucus; State Public Charter School Commission; Public Charter Schools; Meal Subsidies; Appropriation ($) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires public charter schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide free meals to students whose family income is no more than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level.
  • Appropriates funds.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-28 S

    Referred to EDU, WAM.

  2. 2026-01-26 S

    Passed First Reading.

  3. 2026-01-23 S

    Introduced.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.
Keiki Caucus; State Public Charter School Commission; Public Charter Schools; Meal Subsidies; Appropriation ($)
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires public charter schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide free meals to students whose family income is no more than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level. Appropriates funds.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB2677

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2677

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to school meals
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 302D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�302D-
�
School meals.
�

(a)
�
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, free
school meals shall be provided to every student enrolled in a public charter
school that is participating in the National School Lunch Program whose family
income is no more than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level,
regardless of a student's
eligibility for participation in the federal school meals program
.

����
(b)
�

No student shall be denied a meal solely for failure to pay for the meal.

����
(c)
�
The commission may adopt rules or policies
governing the collection of funds for student meal accounts with a negative
fund balance; provided that no rule or policy shall prohibit feeding a student
or otherwise conflict with subsection (b).

����
(d)
�

It is the intent of this section not to jeopardize the receipt of any
federal aid and to the extent, and only to the extent necessary to effectuate
this intent, the governor may modify the strict provisions of this section, but
shall promptly report any such modification with the governor's reasons
therefore to the next succeeding session of the legislature for review.

����
(e)
�

As used in this section, "school meals" means breakfast and
lunch prepared and served by a school cafeteria or a food vendor that is
located outside of school grounds, as designated by a public charter school.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
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 meal subsidies for
students at public charter schools whose family income is no more than three
hundred per cent of the federal poverty level.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the state public charter school commission
for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Keiki
Caucus; State Public Charter School Commission; Public Charter Schools; Meal
Subsidies; Appropriation

Description:

Beginning
with the 2026-2027 school year, requires public charter schools participating
in the National School Lunch Program to provide free meals to students whose
family income is no more than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty
level.
�
Appropriates funds.

The summary description
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.