STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1092

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 805

       H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 805, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Exempt federal veterans' disability compensation benefits from claims of creditors and attachment, levy, and seizure to enforce a court judgment; and

 

     (2)  Clarify that only the portion of a veteran's disability benefits that is not considered to be disability compensation, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation benefits rate, is subject to child and spousal support enforcement under title 42 United States Code section 659(h)(1)(A)(ii)(V).

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Office of Veterans Services, National Association for Uniformed Services Hawaii Chapter, Veterans Advisory Board, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that disabled veterans have sacrificed in the name of duty, honor, and country.  The federal benefits that a disabled veteran receives need to be protected from creditors and third parties.  Implementation of this measure safeguards veterans' federal disability benefits.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 805, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair