STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2391

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3085

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3085 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the payment of allowances for TRICARE Reserve Select coverages to junior officers, warrant officers, or enlisted personnel of the Hawaii National Guard ordered to active duty for more than thirty days in service to the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense; Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; Hawaiʻi Army National Guard; 154th Security Forces Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard; Hawaii National Guard Association; and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that there currently is no authority to provide health insurance for Hawaii National Guard service members who are ordered to active duty in the service of the State. Your Committee further finds that the lack of health insurance creates additional challenges for service members to volunteer for active duty in service of the State without experiencing great personal hardship. This measure will alleviate service member's concerns about health care coverage, increase the available volunteer pool, and improve the Hawaii National Guard's response to future emergencies within the State.

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 and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3085, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3085, 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 and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair