STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3685

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1529

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1529, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BURIAL COUNCILS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Allow any burial council member whose term has expired to continue in office as a holdover member until the member's reappointment to a second term is confirmed or a successor is nominated and appointed;

(2) Prohibit holdover members from holding office beyond the end of the fourth regular session of the Legislature following the expiration of the member's term of office; and

(3) Allow burial councils to allow council members and the public to participate in meetings remotely, using interactive conference technology.

Your Committee received no testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds that Island Burial Council meetings are often postponed because they lack sufficient quorum. These delays are often caused by the expiration of a member's term, the delay of a member's reappointment, or a successor not being timely appointed. This measure will reduce unnecessary delays to Island Burial Council meetings.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting redundant language that would have allowed burial councils to allow council members and the public to participate in meetings remotely, using interactive conference technology;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(3) Making it effective upon its approval; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1529, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1529, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair