STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3587

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 32

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 32 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE NAMING OF A UNITED STATES NAVY SURFACE COMBATANT SHIP AFTER FIREMAN SECOND CLASS AND CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT TELESFORO TRINIDAD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to express support for the naming of a United States Navy surface combatant ship after fireman second class and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Telesforo Trinidad.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of Hawaii's congressional delegation and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that multiple members of Congress, including Representative Ed Case of Hawaii and Representative Sara Jacobs of California, signed a letter to the Acting Secretary of the Navy in strong support of naming a Navy surface combatant ship after United States Navy Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1915. Trinidad earned the Medal of Honor for showing extraordinary heroism in the line of duty in response to boiler explosions aboard the USS San Diego that occurred when the ship was in the Gulf of California on January 21, 1915; more specifically, Trinidad brought two crewmembers to safety despite being physically injured by the explosions. Additionally, one hundred seven years later, Trinidad continues to hold the distinction of being the only Asian American and only Filipino American in the United States Navy to have received a Medal of Honor. Your Committee believes that the naming of a Navy ship in honor of Trinidad would demonstrate the Navy's leadership and commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion amid current racial tensions and unwarranted violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 S.R. No. 32, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 32, S.D. 1.

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