Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 633, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the respective county medical examiners and coroners to submit an application for funeral payments under the Department of Human Services funeral payment program on behalf of an unclaimed corpse more than sixty days from the date of the death of the deceased.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Current law requires an application for funeral assistance to be submitted within sixty days of death of the decedent. However, there are often instances when the county medical examiner or coroner locates remains, identifies a decedent, or completes an application form after the sixty-day limit. This measure will allow county medical examiners and coroners to submit the application form for funeral assistance after the sixty-day limit.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 633, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.