STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2721

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1900

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1900 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY PERSONNEL,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to recognize the designations of Prisoner of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) as valid descriptions of casualty status and category classification for military personnel.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two private entities and one individual.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     The intent of this measure is to enable the United States Government to process POW and MIA personnel actions in a timely manner.  In addition, this measure recognizes that POW and MIA designations as valid descriptions of casualty status and classification.

 

     Your Committee believes that the POW and MIA designations are fitting and proper to recognize the men and women of our country who have gone to war to fight for and to protect our freedoms, as well as to combat tyranny and oppression of peoples throughout the world.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 to continue the discussions on this matter.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1900, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1900, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair