Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1075 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish University of Hawaii tuition waivers for Vietnam veterans who are residents of the State.

The Office of Veterans Services, the Disabled American Veterans, Department of Hawaii, and the Oahu Veterans Council testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that many veterans who served in Southeast Asia from 1964 through 1975 lost valuable periods of their home lives while on active military duty. For those who put themselves in harm's way, the re-establishment of a tuition waiver for eligible veterans would provide an opportunity that may have been missed during those years. Your Committee believes that this measure will assist those veterans who want to improve their lives through education, but lack financial resources.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1075 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.