STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2952

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2490

       H.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Transportation and Energy, to which was referred H.B. No. 2490, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt certain disabled veterans from county vehicle taxes and the state annual vehicle registration fee, regardless of whether the disabled veteran is in receipt of military disability retirement pay from any branch of the uniformed armed forces.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Veterans Services and three individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Transportation and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that members of the United States Armed Forces have defended the United States and the lives and liberties of its citizens since the founding of the nation, and veterans have frequently made tremendous personal sacrifices during their service that have caused them to be disabled.  Many of these disabled veterans face financial hardship as a result of their disabilities, even when they are not eligible for military disability benefits.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Transportation and Energy that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2490, H.D. 2, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Transportation and Energy,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair