STAND. COM. REP. NO. 746

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 961

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 961 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Exempt dependents of military servicemembers from the residency requirements for government employment when the dependent is in the State accompanying the military servicemember on valid military orders; and

(2) Allow a spouse of an active duty member of the armed forces, who accompanies the active duty member on a permanent change of station to Hawaii and holds a professional license in another jurisdiction to apply for licensure on an expedited basis in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Human Resources Development, Work for Warriors Hawaii, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the United States Department of Defense and Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Your Committee finds that military spouses who accompany their armed forces servicemember spouse on a permanent change of station experience many challenges with moving and adjusting, particularly when they have families. Their reduced ability to find competitive jobs compounds that challenge and often results in months of nonemployment. For military spouses employed in occupations licensed by states, that challenge is exacerbated by the licensing process in the new jurisdiction, which typically takes three to four months for a military spouse to obtain licensure in a new jurisdiction. This measure is necessary to provide a streamlined process to expedite the licensure process and reduce the financial burdens on military families who newly arrive in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Including mental health counselors as one of the listed professions that qualify a spouse of a servicemember for an expedited temporary license;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 961, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 961, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair