STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2862

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 52

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Higher Education and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 52, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SELECTIVE SERVICE REGISTRATION AWARENESS AND COMPLIANCE ACT,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require compliance with the Military Selective Service Act to be eligible for enrollment in a state-supported post-secondary institution, qualify for state financial assistance for post-secondary education, or be eligible for state or county employment or service.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the United States Selective Service System.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaii System and Department of Defense.

 

     Your Committees find that the United States Military Selective Service Act requires all male citizens and males residing in the United States, except for lawfully admitted non‑immigrants, to register with the Selective Service System upon reaching the age of eighteen.  Federal law provides that any person who is not in compliance with the Military Selective Service Act is ineligible for federal student financial assistance and employment within the executive branch of the federal government.  Your Committees further find that twenty-seven percent of males eighteen years of age or older in Hawaii have not registered with the Selective Service System.  If these individuals do not register before the age of twenty-six, they will permanently lose eligibility for federal benefits linked to the Selective Service registration requirement.  Your Committees find that conditioning state student financial assistance benefits on compliance with the Selective Service registration requirement will encourage individuals not currently in compliance to register.

 

     Your Committees also find that financial aid office staff in state educational institutions may require time to prepare for the conditioning of state student financial assistance on compliance with Selective Service registration requirements proposed by this measure.  Additionally, your Committees note that any person denied benefits due to lack of compliance with the registration requirement may regain the benefits if that person registers with the Selective Service System before attaining age twenty-six and provides proof of registration.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Removing the requirement of Selective Service registration for enrollment in state-supported post-secondary institutions and state or county employment;

 

(2)  Removing the reference to the National Guard in the section providing exceptions to the registration requirement;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2017; and

 

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Higher Education and the Arts that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 52, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 52, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Higher Education and the Arts,

 

________________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair