Chaired by Representatives Greggor Ilagan and Terez Amato (pictured), the House Interim Food, Water, and Other Supplies Working includes Representatives Diamond Garcia, Cedric Asuega Gates, Rose Martinez, Richard H.K. Onishi, Jackson D. Sayama and Adrian K. Tam.

HONOLULU — The House Interim Food, Water, and Other Supplies Working Group will meet to take public input on its draft report today at 2 p.m.

Pursuant to House Rule 17 and House Resolution 224 (2023), Speaker Scott K. Saiki established Interim House Working Groups charged with evaluating specific topics related to the Lahaina wildfire and making recommendations for appropriate legislative action.

The purpose of the House Interim Food, Water, and Other Supplies Working Group is to evaluate the availability and distribution of food and other necessary supplies for displaced individuals and families, and to prepare recommendations for appropriate legislative action.

Chaired by Representatives Greggor Ilagan and Terez Amato (pictured), the panel includes Representatives Diamond Garcia, Cedric Asuega Gates, Rose Martinez, Richard H.K. Onishi, Jackson D. Sayama and Adrian K. Tam.

The draft report is available for review on the Hawaii House of Representatives’ website.

According to the working group’s summary:

“The increased likelihood of natural disasters such as the August 8, 2023, Maui wildfires mandate increased efforts in preparation. To this end the Working Group here presents its research, including findings, recommendations, and community feedback, to evaluate the availability and distribution of food, water, and other necessary supplies for displaced individuals and families, and to prepare recommendations for appropriate legislative action.

The work of the Working Group sheds light on the current state of disaster supplies availability and distribution, identifies gaps and inefficiencies in supply chains, and offers concrete solutions to address issues of critical importance. Specifically, the Working Group proposes six recommendations on the following topics to improve the availability and distribution of essential

supplies to displaced individuals and families:

(1) Distribution Management Plan Maintenance;

(2) Food Bank Reserves;

(3) ‘Right to Garden’ Law;

(4) Hot Food Donation Standards Outreach;

(5) Emergency Prescription Refills; and

(6) Emergency Surge Personnel.

Hawaii can significantly enhance its supply availability and distribution system by adopting the recommendations, ensuring a more effective and coordinated disaster response.”

The meeting will be held in person in Conference Room 309 at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol and streamed on the Hawai’i House of Representatives’ YouTube Channel. Citizens may also attend via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86507190452 (Meeting ID: 865 0719 0452).

The public is invited to participate in the meetings in-person or virtually. Those who may have limited access to the internet or internet-connected devices may utilize free public Wi-Fi and computers at each of the state’s public libraries and the bookmobile during operating hours. Contact your local state public library for details.