Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1630 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that Hawaii's veterans cemeteries are maintained at the level they deserve by appropriating funds for this purpose.

Currently, there are seven county veterans cemeteries on the Neighbor Islands, and the State Veterans Cemetery is located in Kaneohe, Oahu. Because the State contributes less than 20 percent of the operating costs of the county cemeteries, each county must shoulder the majority of the costs to maintain these facilities. This has resulted in insufficient funds to adequately care for these cemeteries. In addition, the State Veterans Cemetery has also fallen into disrepair.

The Office of Veterans Services of the State Department of Defense, a Kauai County Council member, and one individual testified in support of this measure. The County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

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. 1630, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1630, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.