Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1590, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Veterans Services, at the request of a deceased World War II Filipino American veteran's survivor, or an interested person, to pay directly to a licensed mortuary or crematory the costs of funeral and burial services and the cost of transporting the remains to the Philippines.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Office of Veterans Services, WW II Fil-Am Veterans, and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that a World War II Filipino American veteran who is at time of death a U.S. citizen, a resident of Hawaii, and who served honorably, should be entitled to funeral and burial services paid by the State. These Filipinos are the long neglected "heroes" of the war. They put themselves in harm's way to fight for America when many were not even U.S. citizens. This measure represents a posthumous tribute to them.

Your Committee has amended this measure to provide an appropriation ceiling of $3,000 for each deceased veteran.

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 H.B. No. 1590, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1590, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.