STAND. COM. REP. NO. 219

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 626

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 626 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Veterans' Services to pay a mortuary for the services of a deceased veteran and to pay for the transport of that deceased veteran's remains to the Philippines.

     Comments on this measure were submitted by one state agency.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature’s website.

     Your Committee finds that the payment of mortuary services for a deceased veteran and the costs for the remains to be transported back to the Philippines will enable the families of deceased New Filipino Scouts that served in World War II to obtain closure with the veteran's passing.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 626, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 626, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair