STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1683-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

RE:   H.C.R. No. 104

      H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 104 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION STRONGLY URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION TO CLARIFY THE STATUS OF MIGRANTS UNDER THE COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION FOR PURPOSES OF THE REAL ID ACT OF 2005 TO PROMOTE FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the U.S. congress to pass legislation to clarify the status of migrants under the compacts of free association for purposes of the REAL ID act of 2005 to promote fairness and equality under the law.

Your committee received testimony in support from the Hawaii State Department of Transportation, the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the Micronesia Consulate General, Compacts of Free Association, Healthy Pacific, Hawaii Interpreter Action Network, and 8 individuals.

Your committee has amended this measure by additionally requesting that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services delineate COFA status as a specific category in the SAVE system and to clarify that their “unlimited length of stay” is sufficient for the same renewal period as legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens for purposes of driver's license and identification renewals, and other entitlements and benefits.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 104, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 104, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

MATTHEW S. LOPRESTI, Chair