STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3779

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 109

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 109 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO GRANT FULL VETERANS BENEFITS TO FILIPINO VETERANS WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II BUT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED THE BENEFITS TO WHICH THEY WERE ENTITLED,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the President of the United States and the United States Congress to grant full veterans benefits to Filipino veterans who fought in World War II but were subsequently denied the benefits to which they were entitled.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Veterans' Services, Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities for the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that thousands of Filipino men and women risked their lives against the invading and occupying Japanese forces and assisted our nation in its efforts to liberate the Philippines during World War II. Your Committee also finds that those Filipinos who served in the Philippine Commonwealth Army were made eligible for full United States veterans benefits for their active duty service. However, in 1946, by congressional act and upon the granting of full independence to the Philippines, these same Filipino veterans were denied eligibility for United States veterans benefits, including health care, disability pensions, and burial expenses. Your Committee finds that restoring benefits denied to Filipino veterans and fulfilling and expediting any pending claims would honor those Filipino veterans who served with our armed forces so courageously.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 109, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair