THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	119
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO EXTEND THE TIME FOR ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR GUARD SERVICEMEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY.

     WHEREAS, military service offers a tremendous array of educational benefits that can be used while a servicemember is a reservist, a member of the guard, on active duty, or after leaving the service; and

     WHEREAS, such educational benefits are a valuable tool in recruiting individuals to join the military, thus, each servicemember should be provided the opportunity to fully utilize those benefits that each has earned; and

     WHEREAS, the Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (MGIB ‑ SR) is an education assistance program that was enacted by Congress to benefit the high-quality men and women enrolled in the Selected Reserve of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and the Army and Air National Guard; and

     WHEREAS, if eligible, a member of the Selected Reserve or National Guard can use the MGIB-SR towards any degree programs, certificate or correspondence courses, cooperative training, independent study programs, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and vocational flight training programs; and

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, state educational benefits are also available to members of the Hawaii National Guard through the Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, which provides one hundred per cent coverage for community colleges and fifty per cent coverage for four-year colleges; and

     WHEREAS, however, such servicemember in the Hawaii National Guard who is called to active duty is unable to take advantage of state educational benefits during the time of active duty; and

     WHEREAS, upon return from active duty, the servicemember is further unable to utilize the state educational benefits once the servicemember's enlistment has ended, thereby not being afforded the full benefit promised upon entry into military service; and

     WHEREAS, these committed servicemembers of the Hawaii National Guard who are called to active duty should not be penalized for their service to their country; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that the State Department of Defense is requested to provide state educational benefits to members of the Hawaii National Guard who are called to active duty; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Defense is requested to consider tolling the time for eligibility for educational benefits by guard servicemembers during the time that they are called to active duty or providing a fixed extended period of time to such servicemembers, as appropriate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Adjutant General.

Report Title: 

National Guard; Educational Benefits