STAND. COM. REP. NO.  952

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 965

      S.D. 1

      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 S.B. No. 965, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to simplify and expedite the employment of trained, educated, and highly qualified military spouses who accompany their service member spouses on military duty assignments.  Specifically, this bill establishes:

 

     (1)  Qualifications for nonresident military spouses eligible for expedited procedures for professional and vocational licensing by endorsement or reciprocity, and temporary licensing; and

 

     (2)  Requirements for nonresident military spouses to maintain licenses and report changes in status or circumstances that may affect licensure.  

 

     The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, National Association for Uniformed Services Hawaii Chapter (HI-1), The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Hawaii Dental Association testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its contents and replacing it with language that:

 

     (1)  Allows professional and vocational licensing authorities to license a military spouse of a service member by endorsement or reciprocity if the military spouse meets certain requirements; and

 

     (2)  Adds the requirement that a spouse of a military member must be a spouse of a military member who is a member in good standing in the active or a reserve component of any of the armed forces of the United States and has orders issued by the United States Department of Defense to be stationed in Hawaii for a duration of at least one year as a condition to licensure by endorsement or reciprocity.

 

     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 S.B. No. 965, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 965, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Economic Development & Business.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair