STAND. COM. REP. NO. 92

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 733

       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 Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 733 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Office of Veteran Services to cover the cost of staff, printing, and distribution of a newsletter, published quarterly for each year, in order to inform veterans on important issues, including any changes to their benefits, the availability of support services and programs, and relevant events and ceremonies. 

     This measure appropriates $100,000 for fiscal year 2007-2008, and $100,000 for fiscal year 2008-2009.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, the State Advisory Board on Veteran Services, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that it is important to provide timely and accurate communication to the 114,000 veterans who reside in the State of Hawaii, elsewhere, and abroad.  There are still thousands of veterans who remain unaware of their benefits.  This newsletter will continue to make a significant impact in reaching and informing veterans on important issues regarding their benefits.

     Your Committee further finds that the funding for this measure should be expended by the Office of Veteran Services instead of the Department of Defense. 

     Your Committee amended the measure to provide for this change in expending agency, along with other minor grammatical changes.  Your Committee intends that the Office of Veteran Services is a more appropriate expending agency for this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 733, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 733, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair