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. 2648 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the State of Hawaii Department of Defense for a newsletter to inform returning veterans of benefit changes and the availability of supportive services and programs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Veterans Services, State of Hawaii Department of Defense; the Advisory Board on Veterans Services, State of Hawaii, Department of Defense; the Oahu Veterans Council; the Honolulu Chapter No. 3, Disabled Americans Veterans; and the Veterans Administration Advisory Board at the Sparky Matsunaga Medical Center.

Your Committee finds that a newsletter such as the one proposed by this measure is sorely lacking in the veteran community. The relatively minimal financial support for these newsletters will provide invaluable support to our returning troops.

Your Committee has amended this measure to make technical, nonsubstantive 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. 2648, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2648, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.