STAND. COM. REP. NO. 260-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2478

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2478 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEMORIALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the planning and design of a memorial to honor service members of the recent conflicts in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the various arenas of the Global War on Terrorism, to be located at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, Oahu, with replicas of the memorial to be located at state veterans' cemeteries statewide.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Veterans' Services, Department of Defense; the National Association for Uniformed Services; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that honoring service members of the recent conflicts in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the various arenas of the Global War on Terrorism through a memorial is one means by which the State can express its gratitude for their service, contributions, and sacrifice, and ensure that the members are not forgotten. Your Committee notes that efforts to establish a memorial for this purpose date back to 2013, when Act 139, Session Laws of Hawaii 2013, was enacted. Since then, much work has been done by the Hawaii Gulf War Memorial task force to develop plans for the memorial. This measure will fund the planning and design phase of the memorial and associated replicas based on the task force's recommendation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

Should your Committee on Finance decide to hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $125,000 for the memorial's planning and design.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2478, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2478, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair