STAND. COM. REP. NO. 307-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1481

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1481 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN REMAINS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require any funeral establishment, mortuary, cemetery, crematory, or hydrolysis facility to dispose of the remains of a dead human body no later than sixty days from the date a burial-transit permit has been issued or from the date an affidavit for an amendment of the burial-transit permit has been submitted.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawaii Funeral & Cemetery Association, Inc.; Dodo Mortuary, Inc. & Crematory; Hawaiian Memorial Life Plan, Ltd; Ballard Mortuary, Inc.; Hosoi Garden Mortuary; and Oahu Mortuary. Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that all dispositions of deceased human remains require a permit from the Department of Health prior to the final disposition of the decedent. Your Committee further finds that under current requirements, the permit requires the applicant to include a specific date and location where the burial or cremation must occur and requires consent and signatures from either a designated authorized representative over the disposition or the majority of the next of kin, which can sometimes require multiple individual family members' authorization for the final disposition. This process can be challenging to complete as there is often little time for proper planning before permits must be submitted with a specific date for the final disposition. Additionally, if there is a change in circumstances, changing the date on the permit requires an affidavit, while failure to properly record the actual disposition date results in penalties and fines. This measure is intended to reduce the burden on grieving families and the funeral industry by providing for greater flexibility in scheduling the disposition of deceased human remains.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing, rather than requiring, the Department of Health to adopt rules; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1481, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1481, 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,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair