STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2192

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2709

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2709 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FURNISHING THE DATE OF VITAL EVENTS TO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WITHIN THE STATE OF HAWAII THAT REQUEST VERIFICATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow the Department of Health to disclose the dates of vital events to government agencies within the State that are seeking to verify information contained in vital statistics records for the purpose of updating official lists.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

     Your Committee finds that the disclosure of the dates of vital events will help state government agencies to determine eligibility for public benefits, correctly assess taxes, and discontinue services on behalf of deceased persons, all of which will in turn limit fraud and increase the available funds for those qualified individuals who need the funds the most.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2709 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair