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HRS §327-32

Duties for handling unclaimed bodies before cremation

People in charge of unclaimed dead bodies must try to find relatives or friends and report their efforts to the Department of Human Services if they want public payment for cremation. This does not change death certificate rules.

everyone

The statute, as written — Administration; duties of health officers

Every head officer of a hospital, nursing home, correctional facility, funeral parlor, or mortuary and every county medical examiner or coroner and every state or county officer, and every other person who has possession, charge, or control of any unclaimed dead human body that may undergo cremation as defined in section 531B-2 at public expense pursuant to section 346-15 shall: (1) Exercise due diligence to notify the relatives and friends of the decedent, any representative of a fraternal society of which the deceased was a member, and any legally responsible party; and (2) Submit in writing to the department of human services a description of the efforts used in making the determination that the dead human body is unclaimed in accordance with section 346-15, if payment for cremation is sought. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the requirements relating to the filing of a certificate of death with the department of health pursuant to chapter 338.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§346-15 Death benefits and handling of unclaimed bodies

§531B-2 Definitions for cemeteries and cremation

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.