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. 1590 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide an alternative procedure for the Office of Veterans' Services (OVS) to pay for burial and funeral services for deceased World War II Filipino American veterans.

Currently, these veterans are entitled to receive a burial grant from OVS to pay for:

However, to qualify for this burial grant, a survivor or an interested party must first produce an itemized paid invoice showing the specific services rendered. The problem is that some cannot afford to pay for these services in advance. This may result in delays in which the bodies are stored until sufficient funds are raised.

This bill requires the Director of OVS, at the request of a survivor or interested party, to make payment directly to a mortuary or crematory upon the submission of a contract for services and an itemized unpaid invoice.

OVS testified in support of this bill, provided that its passage does not impact its priorities in the executive biennium budget request.

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. 1590, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1590, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.