REPORT TITLE: 
Health certificates


DESCRIPTION:
Exempts native Hawaiians who are required by law to produce
verification of native Hawaiian ancestry, from paying a fee for
certified copies of birth, death, marriage, or divorce
certificates, to be eligible for services and benefits.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.509        
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO FEES COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that native Hawaiians must
 
 2 verify their ancestry to be eligible for government services and
 
 3 other programs, such as the department of Hawaiian home lands,
 
 4 the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools and Bishop
 
 5 Estate, Lunalilo Trust, and Alu Like, Inc.  These individuals
 
 6 must first qualify or quantify their birthright in order to
 
 7 receive benefits or services.
 
 8      The purpose of this Act is to exempt any native Hawaiian
 
 9 from paying a fee for certified copies of birth, death, marriage,
 
10 or divorce certificates, provided that these documents are needed
 
11 to prove Hawaiian ancestry to fulfill documentation requirements
 
12 as requested from any government agency or organization to
 
13 qualify for entitlement benefits or services.
 
14      SECTION 2.  Section 338-14.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
15 amended to read as follows:
 
16      "§338-14.5  Copies of certificates; fees.  (a) The fees for
 
17 certified copies of birth, marriage, or death certificates issued
 
18 by the department of health shall consist of $10 for the first
 
19 copy issued and $4 for each copy issued thereafter.  These fees
 
20 shall be collected for each single request for certified
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.509        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 copies[,] of certificates; provided that fees shall not be
 
 2 charged in connection with the issuance of the certificates to
 
 3 native Hawaiians who are required by law to produce verification
 
 4 of native Hawaiian ancestry, to be eligible for services and
 
 5 benefits.  Native Hawaiians applying for certified copies of
 
 6 birth, marriage, divorce, or death certificates shall provide the
 
 7 department of health with written verification of the need for
 
 8 the ancestral verification for any government agency or
 
 9 organization or public and private program requesting the
 
10 certified documentation.  All fees received for the issuance of
 
11 certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce, or death
 
12 certificates shall be remitted to the director of health.  Upon
 
13 the receipt of remittances under this section, the director of
 
14 health shall deposit:
 
15      (1)  $1 for each certified copy to the credit of the spouse
 
16           and child abuse special account established under
 
17           section 346-7.5;
 
18      (2)  $1 for each certified copy to the credit of the spouse
 
19           and child abuse special account established under
 
20           section 601-3.6;
 
21      (3)  $1 for each certified copy to the credit of the
 
22           domestic violence prevention special fund established
 
23           under section 321-   ;
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.509        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (4)  $1 for each certified copy to the credit of the vital
 
 2           statistics improvement special fund established under
 
 3           section 338-__; and
 
 4      (5)  The remainder of the fee for each certified copy to the
 
 5           credit of the state general fund.
 
 6      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
 7      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1998.
 
 8 
 
 9                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________