STAND. COM. REP. NO. 650________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1298
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to
which was referred H.B. No. 1298 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BURIALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to provide
financial assistance for the proper burial of Filipino soldiers
who served honorably in active duty:

     (1)  Under the command of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far
          East;

     (2)  Within the Philippine Army;

     (3)  With the Philippine Scouts; or

     (4)  With a recognized Philippine guerilla unit.

     The Office of Veterans' Services, the Hawaii Chapter of WWII
Fil-Am Veterans, and members of the public  submitted testimony
in support of this measure.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 650________
                                 Page 2

 

     Your Committee finds that although many Filipino soldiers
courageously risked their lives to protect and promote American
democratic values, some of these veterans are still denied the
honor of being buried with their comrades in arms.  Currently,
only veterans who served in the armed forces of the United States
or joined the Philippine Scouts before October 6, 1945, are
entitled to be buried in a national or state veterans cemetery.
This measure addresses this injustice by appropriating funds to
provide financial assistance for the proper burial of these
veterans.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached
to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1298 and recommends that it pass Second
Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   NESTOR R. GARCIA, Chair