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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Health department can
confirm individual’s deathQuestion: If a person elects not to have an obituary notice in any newspaper or printed matter, how can anyone learn about his death?
Answer: Contact the state Department of Health, which is the keeper of vital records for births, marriages, divorces and deaths that occur in Hawaii.
You can't see or get a copy of a death certificate unless you can show a "direct and tangible interest" in the record, but you can verify the death through the department.
"Vital statistics records, such as death certificates, are subject to strict confidentiality requirements under state law," said department spokeswoman Janice Okubo.
She cited Chapter 338-18 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes as prohibiting disclosure of such records, which are maintained by the department's Office of Health Status Monitoring.
Specifically, Subsection (b) of the law says: "The Department of Health shall not permit inspection of public health records, or part thereof, unless it is satisfied that the applicant has a direct and tangible interest in the record."
However, letters of verification "attesting to the existence of a requested record on file" with the department can be issued to the public, upon written application.
Such letters would verify the existence of a birth/death/marriage/divorce certificate, plus any other information provided for verification.
That means the department will not disclose any information on the certificate that is not known to the applicant. You can't go fishing for information.
Instead, you would have to ask for verification of something specific, such as, "John Doe died on a certain date, at a certain place."
The department will not do any search until an application is received and the fee -- $5 per letter of verification -- is paid.
"The reason for these procedures is to insure that the (department) provides accurate information," as well as to have a written record of the information provided, Okubo said. "If someone were to call us and ask if 'Terry Lee' had died, we could reply yes (all 10 of them) or yes (back in 1862)."
Application forms for both copies of certificates or letters of verification can be downloaded from the Department of Health's Web site: Hawaii.gov/doh/records/vital_records.html . Or, call 586-4539 or 586-4542 during regular business hours.
Meanwhile, to get actual copies of birth, marriage, divorce or death certificates, the department recognizes the following people as having a "direct and tangible" interest: the person the record is concerned with; the person's spouse, parents, child, grandchild or other descendant; someone having a common ancestor with the person (sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle or cousin); a legal guardian; a person or agency acting on behalf of the person; someone representing the person's estate; someone whose right to obtain a copy of the record is established by court order; adoptive parents who have filed a petition for adoption and need to determine the death of the child's natural or legal parents; someone who needs to determine the marital status of a former spouse for alimony; someone who needs to determine the death of a nonrelated co-owner of property purchased under a joint tenancy agreement; and someone who needs a death certificate to determine payments under a credit insurance policy.
It costs $10 for a copy, $4 for each additional copy of the same certificate. Additional fees are charged for requests made via the Internet.
Meanwhile, records of events that occurred at least 75 years prior -- that is 1929 for this year -- are available for inspection or copy to anyone -- including private individuals -- working on a genealogy project. No direct tie needs to be established.
However, if the records are less than 75 years old, then the person seeking to inspect a record or get a copy must show a direct and tangible interest in the record.
For recorded information, call the vital records information line, 586-4533.
Small business fair
Interested in starting or expanding a small business?Check out the free Hawaii Small Business Fair, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 22, at Kapiolani Community College (4303 Diamond Head Road).
More than 25 nonprofit and government agencies will be on hand to provide information and resources at the fourth annual event.
There will also be free seminars and panel discussions on topics ranging from choosing the right legal form of business to marketing, from financing to doing business with government.
For more information, go to the Web site smallbusinessfair.state.hi.us, call 587-1786 or e-mail Tax.Training.Outreach@hawaii.gov.
Mahalo
To Jake Kekekia. I was at Costco in Iwilei recently and was struggling to put a large appliance into my four-door sedan, with the assistance of Costco employee Liko. Jake offered to help, but I said we could manage. About 10 minutes later, Jake returned as we were still struggling to get the appliance into my car. He asked where I lived and offered to put it in his truck, saying Salt Lake is on his way home to Kailua. Liko vouched for Jake, noting that he previously helped another couple with a large TV. We loaded the appliance onto his truck and he followed me home. I was nervous thinking that I would be scammed, but was deeply touched when we arrived at my home and he helped unload the appliance into my garage. He refused my offer of payment and lunch. He said he also had helped couple who bought a large TV and couldn't get it into their sports car and he mentioned driving a Japanese couple with a baby who appeared lost eight miles to Makaha Beach after seeing them walking along the roadside to a bus stop about three miles away! Many mahalos to Jake Kekekia, a special person with a great Aloha Spirit. He makes me proud to be from Hawaii. I shall remember his helpfulness and hope to pass on his aloha spirit wherever I go. -- Grateful Guy from Salt Lake, Dennis Chung
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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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