Legislature(2007 - 2008)CAPITOL 106
04/10/2007 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR7 | |
| HJR15 | |
| HB193 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HJR 7 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 15 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 193 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HJR 15-WW II FILIPINO VETS:BENEFITS/IMMIGRATION 8:30:08 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business was HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 15, Supporting the passage of a Filipino Veterans Equity Act and a Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act. 8:30:14 AM REPRESENTATIVE DOLL moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for HJR 15, Version 25-LS0718\M, Bannister, 4/9/07, as a work draft. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG objected. 8:30:42 AM REPRESENTATIVE GABRIELLE LEDOUX, Alaska State Legislature, presented HJR 15 as prime sponsor. She paraphrased from her sponsor statement, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: This resolution from the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the United States Congress to pass the Filipino Veterans Equity Act and the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act. From 1898 until 1946, the Philippine Islands were considered a territory of the United States. During Word War II the military forces of the Philippines were drafted into service under the command of American officers in the United States armed forces in the Far East to fight against the Japanese invasion. Filipino and American soldiers fought side by side in such battles as Corregidor. Many died during the 65- mile Bataan Death March, and those who survived were imprisoned under inhumane conditions. Filipino World War II veterans were promised military benefits, but after the War the United States Congress passed the Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act of 1946. The act considered the services of Filipino World War II veterans not to be active service. This status change had the effect of denying Filipino World War II veterans the rights, privileges and benefits that American World War II veterans received. There have been several attempts to reverse this injustice. In 1990, Filipino World War II Veterans were allowed to immigrate to the U.S. Many of them did and petitioned for their immediate families. In 2000, they were provided with military burial benefits and in 2003 they were provided long overdue medical and nursing home care from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. The Filipino Veterans Equity Act and the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would correct a terrible injustice by: 1) providing veterans the full benefits they were denied; and 2) providing immediate relief for those veterans and their families who have waited for more than a decade with approved immigration petitions. REPRESENTATIVE LeDOUX reviewed the changes that were made in Version M. The resolution, she said, used to state that Filipino soldiers fought with American soldiers, which could be construed to mean they fought against them. Therefore, the language [on page 1, line 7,] was changed to read, "Filipino soldiers fought shoulder-to-shoulder with American soldiers". Furthermore, on page 3 of the resolution, the list of those receiving copies was augmented. 8:33:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES noted that all seven members of the House State Affairs Standing Committee had signed on as [co-sponsors] of HJR 15. 8:33:55 AM CHRISTINE MARASIGAN, Staff to Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative LeDoux, prime sponsor of HJR 15, confirmed for Representative Gruenberg that "both bills" will be heard by the House and Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committees. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, to send copies of the resolution to all sponsors and co-sponsors in each house. 8:34:56 AM MS. MARASIGAN stated her understanding that today, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, there will be World War II veterans from across the United States placing a wreath at the National World War II memorial in honor of their fallen comrades. The following day, they will be lobbying to get more co-sponsors on "this particular piece of legislation." She asked Representative Gruenberg if his conceptual amendment is asking that the resolution be sent to current co-sponsors. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked the sponsor what her wishes in the matter are. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said she would like the resolution sent to everyone who is a cosponsor as of the passage date. 8:35:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG [amended his original motion] by suggesting "to add it to all sponsors and co-sponsors of ... all four bills in Congress, as of the date the governor signs ...." 8:36:09 AM REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL objected to Conceptual Amendment 1, as amended, for clarification purposes. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG explained: There are four pending bills, and my motion is to send ... copies of this resolution to all sponsors and co- sponsors of all four pending bills. ... That would be as of the date the governor reads this resolution and she decides if it is a joint resolution. REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL removed his objection. 8:37:38 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG removed his objection to adopting Version M as a work draft so that his amendment might be considered. [There being no further objection, Version M was before the committee, and Conceptual Amendment 1, as amended, was treated as adopted.] REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG named someone whom the resolution would affect. He noted that there is a bill that would allow the Filipino veterans to receive United States veterans' benefits. He recommended that the sponsor consider extending state veterans' benefits. 8:38:37 AM CHAIR LYNN said that might be good legislation to look at in the future. He noted that he grew up during World War II, and he stated that the Philippine people have been staunch allies of the United States of America for a long time, and HJR 15 is the least the legislature can do for them. 8:39:26 AM REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL moved to report CSHJR 15, Version 25- LS0718\M, Bannister, 4/9/07, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHJR 15(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|