STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1686-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.C.R. No. 84

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 84 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO RESTORE THE PRESUMPTION OF A SERVICE CONNECTION FOR AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE TO UNITED STATES VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE WATERS DEFINED BY THE COMBAT ZONE AND IN THE AIRSPACE OVER THE COMBAT ZONE IN VIETNAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to reaffirm Hawaii's, and the nation's, commitment to the well-being of all of its Vietnam veterans by urging Congress to restore the presumption of a service connection for Agent Orange exposure to United States veterans who served in the waters and in the airspace of the Combat Zone in Vietnam to facilitate access to appropriate disability compensation and medical care.

The Advisory Board to the Office of Veterans' Services, Department of Hawaii-Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, National Association for Uniformed Services – Hawaii Chapter, and 1,978 Conventional People testified in support of this measure.  The State Office of Veterans Services testified in support of the intent of this measure.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 84 and recommends its adoption.

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

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair