STAND. COM. REP. NO.  610-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 1989

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1989 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide resources for our veterans by:

(1)  Providing for the acceptance of gifts and other property by the Office of Veterans' Services (OVS) to assist OVS in its mission to serve veterans; and

(2)  Authorizing the creation of a Veterans' Gift Trust Fund (Trust Fund) within the state treasury.

     OVS supported the intent of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Establishing the Trust Fund within the state treasury;

(2)  Restricting all expenditures from the Trust Fund for the support of veterans, including Hawaii state veterans' home programs;

(3)  Requiring OVS to submit financial information to the Legislature and Governor at least 20 days before the convening of each regular session, beginning with the regular session of 2009;

(4)  Requiring the director of OVS to retain for three years documents and other materials related to the Trust Fund; and

(5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1989, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1989, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair