STAND. COM. REP. NO.  169

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1076

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1076 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the University of Hawaii to waive tuition costs for spouses and children of veterans who are totally disabled or were killed in action.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Defense and the Office of Veterans Services.  Comments on this measure were submitted by the University of Hawaii System.

     Your Committee finds that the death or total disability of a family member in the armed forces can place immense financial challenges on a family.  This measure will help reduce those financial challenges by removing the barrier of costly higher education tuition payments for spouses and children of severely injured or deceased veterans.

     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. 1076 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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,

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair