STAND. COM. REP. NO. 708

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 623

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 623 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TUITION ASSISTANCE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the Adjutant General's authority to award tuition assistance to Hawaii National Guard members at the University of Hawaii.

 

     Specifically, this measure removes the restriction that tuition assistance to commissioned officers may only be given to those officers that fall in grades 01 (second lieutenant) through 03 (captain) and prioritizes assistance to undergraduate students.

 

     This measure also appropriates funds to the Department of Defense to provide tuition assistance to National Guard members enrolled in degree programs within the University of Hawaii system.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide the Hawaii National Guard with a very valuable incentive for recruiting and retaining highly trained soldiers and airmen capable of performing their federal and state missions.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2090, for purposes of continued discussion of the matter.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 623, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 623, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair