STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1359-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.R. No. 19

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on International Affairs, to which was referred H.R. No. 19 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION TO REDUCE THE UNITED STATES MILITARY PRESENCE IN OKINAWA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to request that the Japanese and United States governments expedite military realignment negotiations for United States forces forward deployed to Okinawa, and to reduce the size of these forces in consideration of the undue burden of military forces on the people of Okinawa.

The Hawaii Okinawa Alliance and several concerned individuals testified in support of this resolution.

Your Committee has amended this resolution by:

(1) Amending the title and the body of this resolution to request that the Japanese government, as well as the United States government take action to reduce the United States military presence in Okinawa;

(2) Prioritizing the request of the Legislature for Japan and the United States to first work to reduce the United States military presence forward deployed to Japan before negotiating relocating military facilities;

(3) Including the Prime Minister of Japan, the National Diet of Japan, and the Japanese Minister of State for Defense in the list of recipients of certified copies of this resolution; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, style, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 19, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 19, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on International Affairs,

		____________________________ HELÉNE H. HALE, Chair