STAND. COM. REP. NO.201

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 214

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 214 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERAN BURIAL GRANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Veterans Services, on request of a deceased Filipino veteran's survivor/interested party, to make payment directly to a mortuary/crematory for funeral/burial services and to transport the remains to the Philippines, upon submission of an unpaid invoice.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Department of Defense, Kauai Veterans, Oahu Veterans Council, WWII Fil-Am Veterans, and an individual.

Your Committee finds that many Filipino WWII veterans or their families are unable to pay the "up front" costs of funeral and burial services and transportation to the Philippines. While family and friends of Filipino veterans try to raise the money to pay for these services, many times, the veteran is "kept on ice". This is an undue hardship on the grieving family.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments to this measure for clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 214, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 214, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations,

____________________________

CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair