STAND. COM. REP. NO.  483

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 556

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Revitalization, Business, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 556 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to allow Filipino veterans' families who cannot afford funeral services and transportation of the deceased veteran's remains to the Philippines, to receive burial grants for these purposes from the Office of Veterans' Services (OVS).

     OVS commented on this bill.

     Your Committee heard concerns that the burial grants in this bill would allow individuals with other than honorable service to be eligible for a burial grant.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by removing language that limits grants to veterans not eligible for interment in state and federal veterans' cemeteries.

     In addition, to address the fiscal implications of this bill, its applicability was amended to include only those veterans who died after June 30, 2004, instead of June 30, 1994.

     Finally, technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Revitalization, Business, & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 556, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 556, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Revitalization, Business, & Military Affairs,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair