Report Title:

Hawaiians, Identification, Access to Records

Description:

Appropriates funds to all people of Hawaiian ancestry to have access to vital statistic records to prove ancestry.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2042

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO ACCESS TO VITAL STATISTICS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Bills to provide for federal recognition to people of Hawaiian ancestry and to encourage their self-determination and self-government are pending before Congress. It is anticipated that when these bills pass, this will require an enrollment process to identify members of the group and formally indicate the intent to participate in the recognition process. Thus there will have to be some formal kind of identification to substantiate Hawaiian ancestry.

Essential to this process will be the ability of Hawaiians to identify themselves as such through their vital statistics records. These records are kept by the state department of health. Hawaiians will need effective access to and use of vital statistics records, and so additional department staff will need to be hired and money provided to allow the provision of needed documents without charge.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003, for the office of health status monitoring of the department of health to establish a system to allow people of Hawaiian ancestry to have access to and copies made of their vital statistics records to prove their ethnic identity without charge to them. The department is authorized to hire temporary staff if needed.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.

INTRODUCED BY:

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