STAND. COM. REP. NO.  308-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2073

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 2073 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEMORIALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of veterans from Hawaii who served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom, and service members who engaged in the Global War on Terrorism, Homeland Defense, and Operation Noble Eagle, as well as those who have protected our borders by land, sea, and air by appropriating $5,000,000 for the planning, design, and construction of:

     (1)  The Hawaii Gulf War Memorial on the grounds of the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu; and

     (2)  Replicas of the Memorial to be located on the grounds of state veterans' cemeteries statewide.

The Office of Veterans Services, Department of Accounting and General Services, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Advisory Board on Veterans' Services, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation amount for the planning, design, and construction of the Hawaii Gulf War Memorial from $5,000,000 to an unspecified amount;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $5,000,000 for the planning, design, and construction of the Hawaii Gulf War Memorial and its replicas.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2073, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2073, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair