Bill Text: HI HCR45 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Office of Veterans' Services; Veteran Women Services Coordinator
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-4)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-04-22 - Report adopted, referred to WAM. [HCR45 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2015-HCR45-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
45 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO ESTABLISH AND FUND A VETERAN WOMEN SERVICES COORDINATOR POSITION WITHIN THE OFFICE OF VETERANS' SERVICES.
WHEREAS, in 2012, the Legislature requested the Hawaii Office of Veterans' Services and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to develop comprehensive programs and services to address the needs of female active duty military members and veterans; and
WHEREAS, the Hawaii Office of Veterans' Services established the Hawaii military women's task force to study the needs of women veterans and develop programs to:
(1) Improve the lives of women who have served or are currently serving in the military;
(2) Identify and address the unique needs of women veterans; and
(3) Harness the power of women to influence change by empowering women veterans through education and opportunities to improve and increase resilience; and
WHEREAS, the task force determined that women in the military face multiple, inter-related, and complex problems, which include:
(1) A high rate of military sexual trauma;
(2) Inadequate health care after reentry into the civilian life;
(3) High rates of post-traumatic stress syndrome;
(4) Homelessness; and
(5) Unemployment; and
WHEREAS, current estimates show that there are between 9,502 and 11,744 women veterans who reside in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, women in the National Guard or reserves for all military branches have been activated in pursuit of the United States' interest in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, and other foreign nations; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Veterans' Services is the single office responsible for the welfare of all veterans and their dependents within the State; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Veterans' Services provides veterans and their family members with assistance in filing claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs and serves as a link for programs and services offered by federal and state agencies; and
WHEREAS, a veteran women services coordinator is needed within the Office of Veterans' Services to aid female active duty service members and veterans with their specific needs and issues; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, the Senate concurring, that the Office of Veterans' Services is requested to establish and fund a veteran women services coordinator position; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Veterans' Services is requested to appoint as the veteran women services coordinator a veteran or a present member or discharged member of the Hawaii Air or Army National Guard; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the veteran women services coordinator, among other duties and responsibilities, is requested to:
(1) Gather and distribute information about services available to women military members and veterans;
(2) Educate counselors within the Office of Veterans' Services of the services provided to women veterans; and
(3) Attend national conferences and participate in veterans services workshops to ensure that women veterans have a knowledgeable contact person who is able to direct women veterans to appropriate resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Adjutant General, Director of the Office of Veterans' Services, and Chairperson of the Policy Advisory Board on Veterans' Services.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Office of Veterans' Services; Veteran Women Services Coordinator
