STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1105

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 559

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 559, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to recognize the critical presence and role of the United States military in Hawaii by expanding the role of the Office of Veterans' Services.  Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Renames the Office of Veterans' Services to Office of Military Affairs and Veterans' Services;

(2)  Increases the Office's mandate to include:

(A)  Interacting and working with the armed services in the State to address any relevant issues and concerns;

(B)  Collecting and maintaining information pertaining to the military's economic impact in the State;

(C)  Serving as a liaison between the State's executive branch and the military in the State; and

(D)  Researching federal funding opportunities that relate to the military and veterans; and

(3)  Appropriates funds to expand the scope of the Office to include military affairs.

The Advisory Board of the Office of Veterans' Services; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Department of Hawaii, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States; and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Defense and Office of Veterans' Services supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the provisions relating to expanding the role of the Office of Veterans' Services;

(2)  Establishing a Military Affairs Advisor position and an Assistant Military Affairs Advisor position within the Department of Defense, with the Military Affairs Advisor reporting directly to the Governor;

(3)  Specifying the functions, duties, and powers of the new positions;

(4)  Appropriating funds to establish the new positions in the Department of Defense; and

(5)  Changing its effective date to upon its approval.

     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 S.B. No. 559, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 559, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair