STAND. COM. REP. NO. 424

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 214

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 214 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISINTERMENT OF HUMAN BODIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow private cemeteries in good standing with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to disinter and reinter human bodies within the same cemetery without filing an application for a permit with the Department of Health.

The Hawaii Funeral & Cemetery Association, Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary, Hawaiian Memorial Life Plan, Ltd., Ballard Family Mortuary, Ballard Family Moanalua Mortuary, Valley Isle Memorial Park, Norman's Mortuary, Borthwick Kauai Mortuary, Dodo Mortuary, Inc., Diamond Head Memorial Park, and two individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Health testified in opposition to this measure. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Permitting, rather than requiring, a licensed embalmer to be available during the disinterment; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion.

Should your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce deliberate further on this measure, your Committee on Health respectfully requests that the Department of Health work with members of the mortuary industry to develop language that addresses issues raised in testimony.

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 H.B. No. 214, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 214, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair