Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 317 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure as referred to your Committee was to formally reestablish the Fiftieth Anniversary Commemoration of the Korean War Commission (Commission) and to appropriate funds for the Commission to complete its work.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, the Office of Veterans Services, forty-six members of the Maui Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association, ninety-nine members of the Hawaii Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association, one hundred two members of the 5^th Regimental Combat Team, the Aloha Chapter of Chosen Few, and one hundred thirty-eight proud veterans.

Your Committee finds that military veterans who risked their lives to preserve freedom and democracy deserve our utmost honor and respect, and that we should never forget that freedom is not free. Many of those who fought in combat on behalf of the United States paid dearly with their lives.

Your Committee further finds that this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, and that the Commission has many final events planned to honor veterans of that War. Your Committee fully supports a final appropriation of funds so that the Commission can complete its work this year.

Your Committee has amended this measure to delete the provisions reestablishing the Commission. Through Act 181, Session Laws of Hawaii 2002, the Legislature formally reestablished the Commission, and therefore the deleted provisions are unnecessary. Your Committee also amended the purpose section of the measure accordingly.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 317, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 317, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.