STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1399

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.C.R. No. 303

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 303 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PEACE CORPS EXPANSION ACT OF 2009,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to support the Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2009.

 

     Testimony in support was submitted by the Invisible Children of Hawaii Club and numerous concerned individuals.

 

     Your Committee notes that since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps, it has served in over 139 countries with more than 195,000 volunteers.  Since that time, 1,274 volunteers from Hawaii have served in the Peace Corps.  It is important to also note that the majority of returned Peace Corps volunteers continue to provide service and play important roles as leaders in our communities across the nation.  Because of these volunteers' great dedication and hard work, over twenty countries have recently requested a Peace Corps program.  Those countries with existing programs have expressed a welcome invitation to additional volunteers.

 

     Your Committee would like to emphasize that on December 5, 2007, in his speech entitled "A Call to Serve," President Barack Obama made a commitment to double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011.  Peace Corps volunteers are highly cost-effective, costing less than $45,000 per volunteer.  Despite that fact, however, fewer than 4,000 of the 13,011 that applied for service in 2008 were provided placements.  With this in mind, your Committee fully supports the President's commitment in showing the world one of our finest expressions of friendship and solidarity.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 303 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair