STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3595

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1807

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1807, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY SERVICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize officers and employees of the State who are members of the Reserve of the Armed Forces and National Guard to receive paid military leave benefits while on inactive-duty training.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the State Department of Defense and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that federal government employees who are members of the Reserve of the Armed Forces and National Guard may receive paid military leave benefits for inactive-duty training.  However, state and county officers and employees who are members of these branches are not currently authorized by state law to receive military leave benefits for inactive-duty training.  Your Committee believes that the Reserve of the Armed Forces and the National Guard play crucial roles in protecting the United States, and that members of these branches should have equal access to paid military leave, regardless of their position with the State or a county.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting language into the preamble to emphasize the importance of inactive-duty training for all Reserve and National Guard members.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1807, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1807, H.D. 2, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair