HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
91 |
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO SUPPLY EACH PUBLIC KINDERGARTEN AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT IN THE STATE WITH MEALS, READY-TO-EAT, FOR CONSUMPTION WHEN NATURAL DISASTERS OR OTHER EMERGENCY INCIDENTS OCCUR.
WHEREAS, students typically spend up to eight hours per day at school; and
WHEREAS, it is foreseeable that, if a natural disaster occurs, such as a major storm, earthquake, or flood, students may be trapped at their respective school campuses for extended periods of time; and
WHEREAS, man-made emergencies, such as the September 5, 2006, incident in which a military vehicle collided with a pedestrian overpass in Aiea, forcing the State to close six lanes of the H-1 Freeway for thirteen hours, can also stall the ability of students to reach home; and
WHEREAS, students who are at school for extended periods of time need access to food; and
WHEREAS, although public schools are usually equipped to provide prepared meals to students at scheduled mealtimes, they do not always have the resources to provide meals to students when emergencies occur; and
WHEREAS, a Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE), is an individual field ration that provides a full meal in a sealed package and typically has a storage life of three years or longer; and
WHEREAS, members of the military often consume MREs when normal food facilities are not available; and
WHEREAS, MREs are also suitable for consumption by young children, especially when disasters or other emergencies prevent their parents from picking them up from school; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, that the Department of Education is requested to supply each public school student enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade with one MRE; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to instruct students who receive MREs to keep their MREs on hand, and only consume the MREs if a natural disaster or other emergency incident occurs, to teach the students lessons on disaster preparedness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Education.
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OFFERED BY: |
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DOE; Students; Disasters; Meal, Ready-to-Eat; MRE