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HRS §441-39

Using cemetery fund money and reserves

This section controls two cemetery funds. The perpetual care fund's main money must stay invested and can only be used for cemetery care, with reserves allowed for losses or future repairs. The pre-need trust's main money can only pay for contracted funeral services or refunds, with proof required.

everyone

The statute, as written — Principal of fund or trusts; use of income, reserves

(a) The principal of the perpetual care fund shall be invested and in no event reduced. Only so much of the income of the fund shall be paid to the cemetery authority as it, by submission of vouchers, can reasonably show to be necessary to cover the cost of perpetual care of the cemetery, including reasonable administrative expenses incurred in connection therewith; provided that a reserve may be created from which principal losses may be replaced by setting aside a reasonable percentage of surplus income, if any, or net capital gains from investments, and a reserve may also be set aside out of surplus income or net capital gains for future maintenance, repair, or restoration of property or embellishments in the cemetery, which may be necessary or desirable as a result of wear, deterioration, accident, damage, or destruction. "Net capital gains" means the amount by which the cumulative capital gains since the establishment of the perpetual care fund exceeds the sum of cumulative capital losses since the establishment of the fund. Any surplus income or net capital gains not so set aside in reserve shall become a part of the principal of the fund. (b) The principal of the pre-need trust shall be invested and shall not be diminished or withdrawn except in payment of the pre-need interment or pre-need funeral services contracted for and provided to the deceased purchaser or designee or for the contractual refund to the purchaser. The cemetery or pre-need funeral authority shall submit to the trustee a certified statement that the purchaser or an assignee of the purchaser has received the pre-need services under contract with the authority in order for the principal to be withdrawn. In the case of refund to the purchaser, the authority shall submit to the trustee a certified statement that the purchaser desires a refund. A reserve may be created from which principal losses may be replaced by setting aside a reasonable percentage of surplus income, if any, or net capital gains from investments.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

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