HI HR52

Hawaii's House of Representatives requests the state's congressional delegation to petition the USDA to address delays in updating school lunch nutrition standards to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The USDA did not release updated School Nutrition Standards reflecting the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines until 2024, with full implementation set for the 2025-2026 school year.

New 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines have already been released, signaling additional changes ahead, while USDA officials have provided limited information about upcoming requirements.

The delayed standards create challenges for Hawaii public schools in developing menus and meeting the state mandate to source 30% of school food locally by 2030.

In 2024, only 5.43% of Hawaii school food spending went toward Hawaii-grown products, far below the 30% Farm to School goal.