STAND. COM. REP. NO. 344

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1417

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1417 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FILIPINO VETERANS BURIAL ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for burial grants for qualifying Filipino-American World War II veterans to provide funeral and burial services and transportation of their remains to the Philippines.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Office of Veterans Services; Filipino Community Center, Inc.; Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project; University of Hawai‘i Pamantasan Council; Filipina Advocacy Network; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that assisting Filipino-American veterans of World War II still living in the State with prospective funeral and burial costs, including the cost of returning their remains to the Philippines if they so desire, would demonstrate the State's appreciation and proper respect for their service.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1417, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1417, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair