§338-14  Fees for certified copies and searches; transcripts or other statistical summaries of vital records for National Center for Health Statistics; certified copies for veterans and others; and corrections on vital statistics certificates.  (a)  The department of health shall establish reasonable fees to be paid for certified copies of certificates; provided that the department shall furnish, free of charge, a certified copy of any of the records, or a certification of birth, to any veteran of the armed forces of the United States, the veteran's wife, any member of the immediate family of a veteran or the next of kin of a deceased veteran, when required for use in connection with a claim based on service in the armed forces of the United States.  Subject to sections 338-16, 338-17, and 338-18, the National Center for Health Statistics may obtain transcripts and statistical summaries on computer tapes of certificates or, without payment of fees, certified copies; provided the State is put to no expense in connection therewith.

     A reasonable fee shall be charged for any correction in the items on a vital statistics certificate initiated by the registrant or the registrant's parent or representative if the registrant is a minor.

     (b)  The department may prescribe reasonable fees for searches of files and records not involving the issuance of certified copies.

     (c)  The department shall keep an account of all fees collected and shall deposit them to the general fund of the State except as provided in sections 321-1.3, 338-14.5, 338-14.6, 346-7.5, and 601-3.6.

     (d)  Any fee established by the department pursuant to this section shall be adopted in accordance with chapter 91.  In establishing a fee, the amount shall be sufficient to cover the expenses involved in searching for, cost of a copy of, or correction of the certificate, file, or record, as the case may be.  The department may raise the fees up to ten per cent per year without being subject to the provisions of chapter 91. [L 1949, c 327, §18; am L Sp 1949, c 34, §1; RL 1955, §57-17; am L 1957, c 202, §1 and c 316, §2; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §19; am L 1967, c 30, §1; HRS §338-14; am L 1974, c 32, §1; am L 1979, c 159, §1; gen ch 1985; am L 1997, c 216, §§5, 13; am L 1999, c 194, §1; am L 2018, c 174, §§1, 3]