Hawaii-2011-HCR205-Introduced

WHEREAS, Act 1, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, which extends the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil union, takes effect on January 1, 2012; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health has less than one year to implement the requirements of Act 1, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, including but not limited to:

(1) Prescribing the form and contents of the application for a license for an agent to perform a solemnization;

(2) Prescribing the form and contents of the license for an agent to perform a solemnization;

(3) Prescribing the form and contents of an application for a license for persons to enter into a civil union;

(4) Prescribing the form and contents of the license for persons to enter into a civil union;

(5) Receiving an application for a license for an agent to perform a solemnization;

(6) Issuing the license for an agent to perform a solemnization;

(7) Receiving an application for a license for persons to enter into a civil union;

(8) Issuing the license for persons to enter into a civil union;

(9) Prescribing the form and contents of a brochure and information pertaining to public health matters; and

(10) Issuing the brochure and information pertaining to public health matters to persons applying for a license to enter into a civil union; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health faces a potentially large and voluminous logistical challenge in meeting the requirements of Act 1, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, especially upon the first few days following the January 1, 2012, effective date of the Act; and

WHEREAS, the creation of a task force may be beneficial in assisting the Department of Health in meeting its statutory mandate in a timely and expeditious manner; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to establish a task force regarding the implementation of Act 1, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is specifically requested to review the experiences of other states in managing, within the first few days of the effective date of a law that recognizes a civil union, the volume of applications for a license for persons to enter into a civil union; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to consider pre-filing, pre-screening, and the authorization of temporary agents who agree to waive fees for civil union licenses; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to serve as the chairperson and to establish the size and composition of the task force in order to represent interested stakeholders, including but not limited to representatives from the Department of the Attorney General, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and interested community organizations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to convene the task force immediately upon the adoption of this measure and to terminate its proceedings on June 30, 2012; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to complete the task force's review in time to enable the Department of Health to implement its recommendations by January 1, 2012; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to submit a report of the task force's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Attorney General, and the Chairperson of the Board of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Civil Unions

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	205
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII