STAND. COM. REP. NO.  32

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 158

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 158 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TUITION ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist members of the Hawaii National Guard to further their education and achieve a higher education degree by broadening the scope of the Hawaii National Guard's tuition assistance program (Program).  Specifically, this bill:

     (1)  Expands the Program to include any officers of the Hawaii National Guard regardless of grade;

     (2)  Clarifies that any Hawaii National Guard member who is a student working towards a degree on any campus of the University of Hawaii is eligible for tuition assistance, not just undergraduate students;

     (3)  Provides priority consideration for tuition assistance for Hawaii National Guard members who are working toward an undergraduate degree; and

     (4)  Appropriates funds to provide tuition assistance to qualified members of the Hawaii National Guard.

The State of Hawaii Department of Defense, University of Hawaii, and Oahu Veterans Council testified in support of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that officers of grades 0-1 through 0-5 are eligible for the Program;

     (2)  Providing that priority consideration for tuition assistance for Hawaii National Guard members should also be given to members who are working toward an associate's, as well as undergraduate, degree;

     (3)  Removing the appropriations for the Program; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 158, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 158, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair