STAND. COM. REP. NO.  724

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 632

      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. 632 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POLICY ADVISORY BOARD ON VETERANS' SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the membership of the Policy Advisory Board on Veterans' Services (Board) represents the full range of veterans' interests by:

(1)  Requiring the Governor, in appointing members, to ensure that all minority viewpoints are represented, including issues of concern to women veterans; and

(2)  Providing that one member be a representative of the Yukio Okutsu Veterans' Home.

     The Office of Veterans' Services (OVS) supported the intent of this bill.

     OVS testified that the Board currently appoints members who are female or who represent ethnic minorities; however, your Committee finds that this bill is necessary if we are to ensure that minority viewpoints will continue to be represented on the Board in the future.  Your Committee also heard that a representative from the Yukio Okutsu Veterans' Home attends Board meetings and that a measure currently moving through the Legislature would increase the information available to the Board concerning this facility.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Removing the requirement that a representative of the Yukio Okutso Veterans' Home be on the Board; and

(2)  Changing the effective date of the measure to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 632, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 632, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair