STAND. COM. REP. NO. 691

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1159

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1159, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt federal veterans disability benefits from claims of creditors and attachment, levy, and seizure to enforce a court judgment, except for certain child and spousal support cases.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Office of Veterans Services of the Department of Defense and three individuals.

     Your Committee finds that disabled veterans have sacrificed in the name of duty, honor, and country.  The federal benefits that a disabled veteran receives need to be protected from creditors and third parties.  Implementation of this measure safeguards federal veterans' disability benefits, except for in certain child and spousal support cases.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1159, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1159, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair