Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 214, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to direct Leeward Community College to develop a program to assist in assimilation of immigrants from the Freely Associated States and other South Pacific jurisdictions into American Society.

Specifically, the measure directs Leeward Community College to provide services through cultural education and integration, language, employment, training, and legal services, to the growing number of immigrants from the Freely Associated States to ensure their success here in Hawaii. In addition to immigrants from the Freely Associated States, this measure covers Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities at large.

This measure also appropriates funds made to Hawaii pursuant to the Compact of free Association Amendments of 2003, P.L. 108-188, 11 Stat. 2027, towards the program.

Your Committee finds that this measure addresses the increasing needs of immigrants from the immigrants from the Freely Associated States immigrants and their impact on communities already at-risk with diminished services on all fronts. Without comprehensive and immediate intervention programs that specifically target these immigrants in a culturally sensitive manner, Hawaii will experience increases in school dropouts, involvement in the criminal justice system, homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, and domestic violence.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 214, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 214, S.D. 3.