STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1447

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 831

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 831, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERAN BURIAL GRANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to fund costs associated with transporting the remains of Filipino World War II veterans to the Philippines for burial.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Appropriates moneys for a burial grant program that will pay directly to mortuaries and crematories the costs of funeral and burial services for deceased Filipino World War II veterans and costs for transporting their remains to the Philippines;

     (2)  Requires payments to be made upon the submission of a contract for services and an itemized unpaid invoice;

     (3)  Limits the total amount to be paid for funeral, burial, and transportation expenses to an unspecified sum; and

     (4)  Limits eligibility for this program to Filipino World War II veterans who are not eligible for interment in a state or federal veterans cemetery under the Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000.

     The Department of Defense submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that there are high costs associated with transporting Filipino World War II veterans to the Philippines for funeral and burial.  Under current law, the survivor or interested party responsible for the funeral and transportation costs of a qualified veteran would be eligible to receive a burial grant from the Office of Veterans' Services to defray these costs.  However, the responsible person must produce an itemized, paid invoice of the services rendered in order to receive reimbursement.  Many families and friends of these veterans cannot afford to pay for these activities in advance.  As a result, the bodies of some deceased Filipino World War II veterans cannot be properly buried until the deceased veteran's survivor or interested parties raise the necessary funds to pay the mortuary for funeral and other related services.  Your Committee finds that this grant program would allow Filipino World War II veterans greater access to a program that would allow their families and friends to honor their wishes to be buried in the Philippines.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 831, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair