Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: What is the legal age when parents are no longer responsible for a child: 18 or 21? A parent is forever but only
responsible to age 18Answer: The age at which a person is considered to be an adult is 18 -- with all the rights and responsibilities of an adult -- in Hawaii and all other states, except Alabama and Nebraska. In those two states, 19 is the age of majority.
Hawaii Revised Statutes 577-1 says: "All persons residing in the State, who have attained the age of eighteen years, shall be regarded as of legal age and their period of minority to have ceased."
The age of majority used to be 21 in most states. But after the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed in 1971, giving 18-year-olds the right to vote in federal elections, most states dropped their age of majority to 18.
In Hawaii, an exception is made if you get married before age 18 (HRS 577-25). In that case, a minor is "deemed to be emancipated and shall be regarded as though he or she were of legal age and shall have all the rights, duties, privileges, and responsibilities provided by the civil law to a person who has reached the age of majority under civil law ..."
However, such "emancipated minors" still cannot vote in any federal, state or county election or purchase alcoholic beverages until they reach the legal age to do so and they retain the rights of minors in regards to criminal law and jurisdiction of family court.
That all said, 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds, in all states, are not legally allowed to buy alcoholic beverages until they reach the age of 21.
In 1984, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 23 states had 21 as the minimum age to purchase alcohol. Federal legislation then was enacted to withhold federal highway funds from the other 27 states unless they also set the same age requirement. By July 1988, all states had set 21 as the minimum age for purchasing alcohol.
Q: I would like to volunteer my time to help in preparing taxes. Is there a training course?
A: It's too late to volunteer for this year's tax season, but there's plenty of time to do so for the 2003 AARP Tax-Aide Program, which is administered by the AARP Foundation.
Nationwide, more than 30,000 volunteers annually help prepare income tax returns for more than 1.5 million people older and/or low- to moderate-income taxpayers. Volunteers do not need any tax expertise, although they have to pass a certification exam.
Volunteers receive comprehensive training in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service and are reimbursed for program-related expenses, including mileage, postage and basic supplies.
"In addition to the announcements each September for new recruits, we are continually using the word of mouth approach which is very effective," said local AARP spokesman Tony Garcia.
Call 1-888-227-7669 or visit the Web site -- http://www.aarp.org/foundation/taxaide.html -- for information.
The IRS will send a Tax-Aide packet of information sometime in December and an orientation for prospective volunteers will be held in mid-December, Garcia said. Training classes are held in January.
Mahalo
To HPD Officers Jeff Tallion, N. Tamayori and T. McKee for their roadside assistance on a busy H-1 freeway on Feb. 12. After assessing my problem, they quickly replaced my defective tire, sending me on my way with words of caution on the use of an emergency tire. -- N. Kikuta
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com