Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2305 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase representation on the Advisory Board of Veterans' Services from seven members to twelve, and place the Board within the Office of Veterans' Services in the Department of Defense.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Veterans' Services, the Advisory Board on Veterans' Services, and a member of the Advisory Board on Veterans' Services. An individual submitted testimony in support of the measure with amendments.

Your Committee finds that more and more veterans are moving to the West Hawaii area. In order to provide necessary representation in Hilo and Kona and to fully support our veteran community, the number of members on the Board should be increased from seven to twelve members and the number of veterans required to be on the Board should be increased from five to six veterans.

Your Committee has amended this bill by increasing the number of required veteran members from five to six and making nonsubstantive technical changes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2305, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2305, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.