STAND. COM. REP. NO.  711-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2311

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2311 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REPORTING DEATHS TO STATE AGENCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the appropriate transfer of information regarding deceased persons to a limited scope of state agencies.

     More specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Extends for two years the sunset date of Act 27, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, which requires the Department of Health to provide quarterly a list of the names of deceased individuals recorded by the department to certain state agencies;

     (2)  Establishes use and confidentiality requirements for state agencies that receive names of deceased individuals; and

     (3)  Requires the last four digits of each decedent's social security number, if known, as part of the information that the Department of Health is required to disclose in its quarterly list to qualifying state agencies.

The Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund Board of Trustees testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the extension of the sunset date of Act 27, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, is warranted.  The Act is helpful in the timely termination of coverage of certain employee and beneficiary benefits.  Your Committee also finds that requiring the Department of Health to share the last four digits of a decedent’s social security number will improve the ability of receiving state agencies to identify decedents.

     Your Committee approved of the measure due to no opposing testimony.  However, your Committee notes that a legal check revealed that the proposed language on page 2, line 22, and page 3, line 1 of the measure that amends Act 27, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, does not comport with recommended legislative drafting procedures, which recommend that proposed language to be added to an existing law be underscored.  Your Committee requests that the Senate address this technical error, which was included in this measure as received by your Committee.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2311 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair