Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2761, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a consistent fee structure for permits relating to burial and disinterment that are issued by the Department of Health.

The measure also provides for the deposit of one-half of the moneys collected from these fees into the vital statistics improvement special fund, to enable the Department of Health to automate and modernize the process of registering death events. The remainder of the fee will be deposited into the general fund.

Your Committee notes that there presently is no fee assessment for the issuance of burial-transit permits; however, a $5 fee is assessed for disinterment permits. This measure imposes a fee of $20 for both permits. Your Committee finds that automating the process for requesting and issuing of burial-transit and disinterment permits will result in a more efficient and convenient means of obtaining permits for the disposition of a dead body and re-burial of human remains in the State, by eliminating the need for in-person or mail-in request and issuance of these permits.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2761, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2761, S.D. 2.