STAND. COM. REP. NO.  491-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2534

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2534 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to help preserve health care benefits for low-income adults and children by making permanent the reduced death benefits for medical and financial assistance recipients.

     Additionally, this measure clarifies the roles and responsibilities of state agencies by:

(1)  Clarifying that the Department of Human Services may bear the cost for crematory and mortuary services for unclaimed dead human bodies only after approving the determination that a dead human body is unclaimed; and

(2)  Setting time limitations on individuals responsible for unclaimed dead human bodies to be cremated at the public expense to submit a written determination that a dead human body is unclaimed and to apply for crematory payment to the Department of Human Services.

The Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and two concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  A concerned individual opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency, clarity, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2534, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2534, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair