THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	35
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PROVIDE A PLAN FOR IMPROVING ITS PROCESS FOR FULFILLING VITAL RECORD REQUESTS FROM NEIGHBOR ISLAND RESIDENTS.

 

 

        WHEREAS, the Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring handles vital records for events that occur in Hawai   i, including birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates; and

 

        WHEREAS, individuals may apply for vital records through online orders or by mailing in a request for certified copies of vital records available for download from the Department of Health's website; and

 

        WHEREAS, the Department of Health District Health Office serves the community in providing information on accessing and amending vital records, information on getting married in Hawai   i, processing Voluntary Establishment of Paternity, and registration of home births; and

 

        WHEREAS, the Office of Health Status Monitoring, which stores and processes these vital records, is located on the island of O   ahu, and is not easily accessible to neighbor island residents; and

 

        WHEREAS, the process of ordering certified records by mail requires a longer processing time due to postal service operations and because many mail orders may be missing information needed to complete the order; and

 

        WHEREAS, as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Health forecasted a reduction of $20,900,000 in its operating budget; and

 

        WHEREAS, office assistants in the Office of Health Status Monitoring are considered the backbone of the vital records workforce responsible for cataloguing all births, deaths, marriages, and name changes required for identification, nationality, and other citizenship or resident rights and privileges; and

 

        WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, Governor David Ige issued a Third Supplementary Proclamation and Emergency Rules Relating to COVID-19 which ordered all persons within the State of Hawai   i to stay at home or in their place of residence except as necessary to maintain operations of critical infrastructure sectors; and

 

        WHEREAS, the stay at home orders have led to a backlog of requests, including births being recorded late that interfere with registration with Social Security, and late death registration or certification delaying burials and probate, which ultimately have caused needless stress and anxiety for the average resident in the accomplishment of both ordinary tasks and major life events; now, therefore,

 

        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health Office of Health Status Monitoring is requested to improve its process for fulfilling vital record requests to increase the productivity and accurate processing of vital records; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

Department of Health; Office of Health Status Monitoring; Vital Records