§346-15 Burial of deceased public assistance recipients or unclaimed corpses. (a) The department of human services may bear the cost of the burial of deceased public assistance recipients or unclaimed corpses. Burial services include the customary mortuary, crematory, cemetery, and other services essential in providing a dignified burial.

(b) The department may pay for mortuary and crematory services, to be furnished by any licensed provider of mortuary and crematory services. Mortuary and crematory payments shall be made to the extent of cost, or in the sum of $400, whichever is less.

(c) The department may pay for cemetery services, to be furnished by any licensed provider of cemetery services. Cemetery payments shall be made to the extent of cost, or in the sum of $400, whichever is less.

(d) In cases where the decedent is survived by relatives, the relatives shall be permitted to make their own arrangements for the burial or cremation of their deceased relative.

(e) The person making an application for funeral payments under the department's funeral payment program, on behalf of a deceased medical or financial assistance recipient or for an unclaimed corpse, shall have sixty days from the date of death of the deceased to submit the application for funeral payments to the department.

(f) The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 for purposes of administering and implementing this section. [L 1943, c 36, §1; RL 1945, §4828; am L 1945, c 161, §1; am L 1947, c 22, §1; am L 1953, c 153, §4; RL 1955, §108-8; HRS §346-15; am L 1970, c 88, §1 and c 105, §5; am L 1976, c 177, §1; am L 1985, c 34, §1; am L 1987, c 339, §4; am L 1992, c 20, §1]