STAND. COM. REP. NO.  745

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1297

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1297 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PENAL CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update the penal code in recognition of traditional Hawaiian burials by providing that preparation of a corpse for burial in a manner consistent with Hawaiian cultural customs and practices is not a violation of the penal code.

The Ko‘olau Foundation and Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club testified in support of this measure.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies testified in support of this measure with amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to:

(1)  Include the burial of a corpse in a manner consistent with traditional Hawaiian cultural customs and practices; and

(2)  Make technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1297, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1297, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair