STAND. COM. REP. NO. 532-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2343

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 2343, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the specific deadline by which the Maui State Veterans Home must be assimilated into a state agency having a Maui affiliation and, instead, require the transfer of the Maui State Veterans Home to be completed as soon as practicable.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency; Office of Veterans Services; Hawaii Military Affairs Council; and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Oahu Region of the Hawaii Health Systems.

Your Committee finds that state veterans homes play a critical role in delivering long-term nursing, domiciliary, and adult day health services to eligible veterans. The Maui State Veterans Home will provide these essential services to veterans on Maui. This measure provides the Department of Defense and Office of Veterans Services with flexibility by removing an arbitrary statutory deadline and provides these entities with more time to formulate or identify a qualified Maui-affiliated state agency capable of taking over the ownership and operational oversight responsibilities for this important project.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2343, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

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DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair