STAND. COM. REP. NO. 284

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1377

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1377 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS CEMETERIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the Veterans Cemeteries Board within the Office of Veterans' Services of the Department of Defense to provide veterans cemeteries in the State with guidance, education, technical assistance, and other support to ensure compliance with standards set by the National Cemetery Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, Office of Veterans' Services, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that veterans cemeteries statewide provide burial space for veterans and their eligible family members, and that these cemeteries are maintained as national shrines with lasting tributes that commemorate veterans' service and sacrifices. The Office of Veterans' Services is responsible for all veterans cemeteries statewide, but its Director does not currently have authority for the establishment and maintenance of those cemeteries. County councils are currently responsible for the burial of service members, veterans, and their eligible family members. This measure will authorize the establishment of a Hawaii State Veterans Cemeteries Board, which will provide the operational oversight to support each county in maintaining veterans cemeteries to proper standards.

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 and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1377, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1377, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair