STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2561

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2093
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 2093, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS RIGHTS AND
     BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide certain benefits to
Filipino veterans of World War II who served in the armed forces
of the United States.

     Specifically, this bill requires the Office of Veterans'
Services to pay the costs of providing funeral and burial
services for a deceased World War II Filipino veteran; and of
transporting the remains of the veteran to the Philippines, upon
the submission of an invoice for services performed.

     This bill also appropriates $100,000 to the Department of
Defense, Office of Veterans' Services for these burial grants.

     Your Committee finds that a World War II Filipino veteran
who dies after June 30, 1994, and who is, at the time of the
veteran's death, a United States citizen and a resident of the
State of Hawaii, is entitled to receive a burial grant from the
Office of Veterans' Services to pay for the cost of:


 
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     (1)  Providing funeral and burial services for the deceased
          veteran; and

     (2)  Transporting the remains of the deceased veteran to the
          Philippines.

     In order to qualify for this burial grant, however, the
Filipino veteran's survivor or an interested party must produce
an itemized paid invoice showing the specific services rendered
on behalf of the deceased veteran.  Because of the tremendous
upfront costs associated with funeral and burial services, and
transportation to the Philippines, some World War II Filipino
veterans, including the families and friends of these veterans,
cannot afford to pay for these activities in advance.
Consequently, some World War II Filipino veterans will not be
able to qualify for these burial grants from the Office of
Veterans' Services on account of their being too "poor".

     This bill provides an alternative to the procedures
currently specified in the rules of the Office of Veterans'
Services which apply in situations where a deceased Filipino
veteran's survivor or an interested party has already made
payment for services rendered on behalf of the deceased veteran,
or in situations where the deceased veteran may have purchased a
pre-paid funeral and burial plan.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the definition of "World War II Filipino
          veteran" by:

          (A)  Deleting the provision requiring the veteran be a
               citizen of the United States;

          (B)  Adding a provision requiring the veteran to have
               been born in the Philippines and to have resided
               in the Philippines prior to military service;

          (C)  Specifying that the "armed services of the United
               States" mean the United States Armed Forces in the
               Far East (USAFFE), the Philippine Army, the
               Philippine Scouts, and recognized guerilla units;

          in order to make the definition of "World War II
          Filipino veteran" in this bill consistent with the
          definition of "veteran" in section 201G-41, Hawaii

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2561
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          Revised Statutes, as the latter definition pertains to
          World War II Filipino veterans;

     (2)  Changing the sum appropriated to the Department of
          Defense, Office of Veterans' Services from $100,000 to
          an unspecified amount;

     (3)  Conforming the purpose section to the statutory
          provisions; and

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of
          clarity, consistency, and style.

     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.
2093, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2093,
S.D. 2.

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



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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