STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2439

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2611

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2611, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VITAL STATISTICS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Health to provide a monthly list of death records, at no charge, to the real property assessment division of each county.

 

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the City and County of Honolulu Real Property Assessment Division and the Kauai County Real Property Assessment Division.  The Department of Health submitted comments in opposition.  Written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure proposes to continue an outdated and inefficient process to verify deaths in the State for administrative purposes.  This measure also unnecessarily discloses confidential information.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Health currently utilizes a process known as the electronic verification of vital events.  Because the process is simple, efficient, and accurate it is also used extensively by federal agencies.  Your Committee believes that an electronic verification process would ensure efficient processing of vital statistics with minimal errors or unnecessary disclosures of confidential information and would benefit the Department of Health and the counties by using government resources more effectively.

 

     Your Committee also finds that the cost to utilize an electronic verification of vital events system requires funding.  The Department of Health proposes a nominal charge to address the expenses of providing the vital statistics to the counties.  Your Committee believes that authorizing the Department of Health to charge a nominal fee is reasonable and justified.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents to:

 

     (1)  Implement use of the electronic verification of vital events, as proposed by the Department of Health;

 

     (2)  Authorize the Department of Health to charge an unspecified fee for verifications furnished to the counties;

 

     (3)  Provide for the deposit of the verification fee and an unspecified portion of the fees for copies of certificates into the vital statistics improvement special fund; and

 

     (4)  Change the effective date of this measure to July 1, 2099, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2611, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2611, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair