HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1818 |
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to brother joseph dutton day.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Ira Barnes Dutton was born on April 27, 1843, in Stowe, Vermont, and spend his formative years in Janesville, Wisconsin. After the Civil War broke out, Ira Barnes Dutton enlisted in the Union Army in September of 1861 as part of Company B of the thirteenth Wisconsin infantry and was discharged in 1866 due to a downsizing of the military after the war. Following the war, Ira Barnes Dutton suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and other personal problems, leading him on a journey to seek atonement through the Catholic faith and taking on the name of his favorite Saint, Joseph, when he was baptized.
The legislature further finds that upon learning about the work of Father Damien on Molokai, Joseph Dutton made his way to Hawaii, arriving at Kalaupapa in July of 1886 to assist Father Damien, who had been diagnosed with leprosy. Joseph Dutton soon became an expert in caring for patients while working alongside Father Damien, who affectionately called him "Brother". Father Damien died three years later in 1889, but Joseph Dutton managed the Baldwin Home for Boys for leprosy victims and dedicated the remainder of his life to the residents of Kalaupapa until he became ill and was transferred to St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, where he passed away on March 26, 1931.
The purpose of this Act is to establish April 27 as Brother Joseph Dutton Day to honor the hard work and dedication of Brother Joseph Dutton in helping residents of Kalaupapa.
SECTION 2. Chapter 8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§8- Brother Joseph Dutton Day. April
27 of each year shall be known and designated as "Brother Joseph Dutton Day";
provided that this day is not and shall not be construed to be a state holiday."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Brother Joseph Dutton Day
Description:
Designates April 27 of each year as Brother Joseph Dutton Day.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.