HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

185

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

requesting thAT the federal government to waive combat income when considering the eligibility of military dependents for income-based school lunch programs.

 

WHEREAS, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, continue to have repercussions today; and

WHEREAS, thousands of military service members and their families are in the midst of coping with troop deployments to dangerous, volatile, and unstable areas of the world, such as Iraq and Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, in addition, many of those who have already completed one tour of duty face re-deployment in what the United States Department of Defense describes as the largest series of troop rotations since World War II; and

WHEREAS, for instance, approximately eighty-five thousand regular, United States reserves, and national guard troops will be deployed to Iraq as part of the rotation; and

WHEREAS, such a massive mobilization and deployment of United States forces has not left Hawaii untouched; and

WHEREAS, the assigned strength of the Hawaii Army National Guard and Hawaii Air National Guard stands at around three thousand and two thousand five hundred, respectively; and

WHEREAS, as of January 2005, over eighty per cent of the Hawaii Army National Guard, including the entire 29th Brigade Combat Team, has been mobilized for deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, even beyond the sheer numbers, however, the effects of the call-up of the national guard are substantial; and

WHEREAS, although active duty military, national guard, and reserve members recognize their duty and are willing to serve their nation, the disruption to their personal and professional lives cannot be denied; and

WHEREAS, for national guard and reserve members, individuals from all walks of life--from college students and engineers to physicians and public servants--are plucked from their daily routines and sent overseas under hostile conditions; and

WHEREAS, for active duty military service members, they are forced to leave behind military dependents who oftentimes do not have their familial support network in close proximity; and

WHEREAS, to send active military, national guard, and reserve members into harm's way while expecting them to absorb substantial financial losses is unduly onerous and highly unfair; and

WHEREAS, rather, they should be provided as much support as possible and the impact on their lives should be minimized to the greatest extent feasible so that they can focus on accomplishing their mission without needing to worry about matters back at home; and

WHEREAS, because active duty military, national guard, and reserve members receive combat-related income while on active duty in a combat zone, the school-age dependents of some of these personnel become ineligible to participate in income-based school lunch programs; and

WHEREAS, as beneficiaries of their courageous and dedicated service, the people of this State and Nation bear a special responsibility toward United States military forces and toward supporting the loved ones that are left at home; and

WHEREAS, this body finds that these patriotic men and women deserve the full support of the State and the Nation; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that Hawaii's congressional delegation is requested to work with the United States Department of Defense and the federal government to ensure that combat-related income earned by deployed military personnel will not be considered as income when determining eligibility for their children to participate in an income-based school lunch program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Defense, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Military dependents; Income-Based School Lunch Programs