Bill Text: HI SB55 | 2017 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Hawaiian Affairs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-02 - The committee on HWN deferred the measure. [SB55 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2017-SB55-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
55 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the life of kanaka maoli, the first people of Hawai‘i, is linked closely with kalo, also known as the taro plant. Kalo is believed to have the greatest life force of all foods.
The legislature further finds that from early times, kalo was the primary food source of Native Hawaiians. Taro came to Hawai‘i with the earliest Polynesian settlers and has been cultivated as a staple food from ancient times in the tropical and subtropical latitude band around the Earth.
The legislature further finds that all parts of the sturdy kalo plant are eaten ─ lū‘au, the young leaves of the kalo plant, are cooked for greens, and the tubers are eaten after being baked, boiled, or steamed or made into poi by being cooked and mashed.
The legislature further finds that in the kalo and poi-based agricultural society, the people of ancient Hawai‘i were dependent on wetland taro. Great skills were needed to terrace, cultivate, and irrigate the land along streams. Today's taro farmer exemplifies self-sufficient stewardship of natural resources. The legislature finds that there is history and wisdom in encouraging and supporting community and back yard cultivation of this valuable food.
The legislature further finds that it is kalo that fed Native Hawaiians, without which they would not have lived and thrived as a people since their first arrival in these islands. No other Hawaiian staple crop, including ‘uala, mai‘a, and ‘ulu, holds such a sacred place in Hawaiian culture, nor the nutritional value that kalo and lū‘au represent as primary food sources for Hawaiians. Lū‘au contains significant levels of essential phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidants that help protect against cancer. The growing, preparing, and eating of kalo and lū‘au are beneficial to Hawaiian dietary and health practices and reduce the impacts and costs of diabetes and heart disease within the Hawaiian community and to the State's healthcare system.
The legislature further finds that the cultivation and consumption of kalo and lū‘au within the State can play a significant role in increasing food security, which is especially important to an island state. Kalo and lū‘au are also beneficial to the environmental, physical, and economic well-being of all residents of Hawai‘i.
The purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Designate kalo as the official food dish of the State; and
(2) Designate the month of June as "Lū‘au Month" in Hawaii.
SECTION 2. Chapter 5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§5- State food dish. Kalo is established and designated as the official food dish of the State."
SECTION 3. Chapter 8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§8- Lū‘au Month. The month of June shall be designated as "Lū‘au Month" to celebrate the cultural connection of Native Hawaiians to the kalo plant, including lū‘au, and the critical role it plays in community health, sustainability, and economic development. This month is not and shall not be construed as a state holiday."
SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Report Title:
Kalo; State Food Dish; Lū‘au Month
Description:
Designates kalo as the official state food dish. Designates the month of June as "Lū‘au Month" in Hawaii. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
