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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
38 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING ENACTMENT OF THE FILIPINO VETERANS FAMILY REUNIFICATION ACT OR SIMILAR LEGISLATION THAT GRANTS THE PRIORITY ISSUANCE OF VISAS TO VETERANS' CHILDREN WITH APPROVED IMMIGRATION PETITIONS.
WHEREAS, in the Military Order of July 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt drafted members of the Philippine Commonwealth Armed Forces and Special Philippine Scouts into the United States (U.S.) Armed Forces, joining the military assault against the invading enemies to defend the Philippines to preserve democracy; and
WHEREAS, throughout the 1941-1946 war, tens of thousands of Filipino soldiers were held prisoner, risking their lives and the lives of their families, while maintaining underground battles against the invading Japanese forces and boldly assisting the U.S. Armed Forces in its campaign to liberate the Philippines; and
WHEREAS, many of the Filipino World War II veterans are now at least 79 years old, are of low-income, have permanent disabilities, and received honorable discharges from the military after serving more than 90 days of active duty military service during World War II, making them eligible to qualify for Veterans Administration benefits and services; and
WHEREAS, President Bill Clinton, on October 17, 1996, President George W. Bush, on July 26, 2001, and the U.S. Congress, on September 13, 2006, recognized and proclaimed the vital role that the Filipino wartime soldiers played in assisting the U.S. Armed Forces defeat the invading Japanese forces in defense of freedom; and
WHEREAS, the Immigration Act of 1990, awarded U.S. citizenship to each veteran but excluded the veterans' dependents, unfairly requiring that each veteran submit an immigrant petition with supporting affidavits requesting that the veterans' dependents be permitted to live with the veteran; and
WHEREAS, upon the death of a veteran, death benefits should be transferred to the beneficiary of record as indicated in the immigration petition and the beneficiary should be exempted from the immigration law which attempts to nullify the immigration petition upon death of the veteran; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislature urges the President of the United States and the United States Congress to enact the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act or similar legislation that grants the priority issuance of visas to veterans' children with approved immigration petitions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation.
Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act