STAND. COM. REP. NO.  735-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2445

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 2445 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DIVORCE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the disability benefits earned by disabled veterans by prohibiting courts from considering federal disability benefits awarded to a military veteran when determining the disposition of property pursuant to a divorce decree.

 

     The Office of Veterans Services, National Association for Uniformed Services Hawaii Chapter (HI-1), and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee notes that it was made aware that the Supreme Court of the United States may have already rendered a decision that makes this measure unnecessary.  However, the Department of the Attorney General was unable to provide information to your Committee on this matter prior to, or at the hearing.  Accordingly, your Committee finds that this measure should continue to be discussed to determine if it is necessary and requests the Department of the Attorney General to present this information to the Committee on Judiciary should it deliberate this measure further.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to March 19, 2100, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     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. 2445, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2445, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MATTHEW S. LOPRESTI, Chair