§327-32  Administration; duties of healthofficers, etc. (a)  The department of health shall administer this part andmay provide by rules and regulations, promulgated pursuant to chapter 91, forthe distribution and use of unclaimed bodies as authorized in section 327-31.

(b)  The department upon receipt of notice ofan unclaimed body shall deliver the body to a university, hospital, orinstitution for the purposes authorized in section 327-31.

(c)  Every head officer of a hospital, nursinghome, correctional facility, funeral parlor, or mortuary and every countymedical examiner or coroner and every state or county officer, and every otherperson who has possession, charge, or control of any unclaimed dead human bodyrequired to be buried at public expense shall:

(1)  Exercise due diligence to notify the relatives ofthe decedent;

(2)  In the absence of any known relative or friend ofthe deceased or any representative of a fraternal society of which the deceasedwas a member, who desires to direct the disposition of the remains in a mannerother than in this part provided, notify the department not later thanimmediately after the end of twenty-four hours following the death, stating,whenever possible, the name, age, sex, and cause of death of the decedent.

(d)  Every head officer of a hospital, nursinghome, or correctional facility in which a decedent was a patient or inmate atthe time of death and whose body is unclaimed and required to be buried atpublic expense shall transmit to the department a medical history of thedecedent for the purpose of identification and permanent record, which recordsshall be open to inspection by any state or county public official orprosecuting attorney. [L 1967, c 240, pt of §1; HRS §327-32]