STAND. COM. REP. NO.  66

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 163

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 163 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A MEMORIAL,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of veterans from Hawaii who served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn by requiring the Office of Veterans' Services, with the assistance of the Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Defense, to develop plans to establish a memorial honoring the veterans of these conflicts.

 

     The State Department of Defense, Office of Veterans' Services, and Oahu Veterans Council testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Accounting and General Services testified in support of the intent of this bill.  The State Historic Preservation Division provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that the State Historic Preservation Division also assist the Office of Veterans' Services in developing plans to establish the memorial;

 

     (2)  Deleting language specifying that the memorial be placed on the grounds of the State Capitol near the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial;

 

     (3)  Clarifying that the Office of Veterans' Services shall hold a public hearing no later than 90 days after enactment of this measure to receive comments or input from interested organizations and residents on plans to develop the memorial;

 

     (4)  Specifying that the State Historic Preservation Division shall also assist the Office of Veterans' Services in submitting the report of their findings and recommendations on the development plans to establish the memorial to the Legislature;

 

     (5)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 163, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 163, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair