STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2829

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3110

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3110, S.D. 1, 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 make certain administrative changes to the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Program.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Renames the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Program to the Hawaii National Guard Civil-Military Program;

(2) Clarifies that employees of the Hawaii National Guard Civil-Military Program are excluded from collective bargaining; and

(3) Codifies the program's Hawaiian name, "Na Kula Alakai."

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Defense and Hawaii National Guard.

Your Committee finds that the administrative changes made by this measure help align the State's National Guard youth programs with federal requirements and policy. Your Committee further finds that the measure improves administrative efficiency for these programs by streamlining employment and hiring procedures and consolidating all program positions under a single budget program ID. Your Committee believes that this measure's reorganization of the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Program will strengthen the integration of military training resources with community partnerships to enhance national readiness and expand access to educational and workforce development opportunities for Hawaii youth, adults, and veterans. Your Committee also recognizes the importance of codifying the program's Hawaiian name to emphasize its local ties.

Should a committee in the House of Representatives hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider the written comments offered by the State of Hawaii Department of Defense. The Department recommends that an amendment be made to section 121-44, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to clarify that the program must comply with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau Manual and Department of Defense Instruction 1402.05.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3110, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair