SR142

WHEREAS, The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau have as associated states with the United States; and

WHEREAS, under the Compact, the United States provides direct economic assistance, federal services, and military protection to the associated states in exchange for defense rights; and

WHEREAS, under the Compact of Free Association, Freely Associated States citizens can migrate in and out of Hawaii without visas or other immigration requirements; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that over eight thousand Freely Associated States citizens have migrated to Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, this migration has had a significant financial impact on Hawaii in terms of un-reimbursed health care, education, public safety, and welfare costs; and

WHEREAS, since the federal government discontinued federal medical and welfare assistance to Freely Associated States citizens who migrated to Hawaii and other parts of the United States, many rely on state aid; and

WHEREAS, it is reported that the health care and education cost of migrants from the Freely Associated States to Hawaii alone was $86,000,000 between 1996 and 2000; and

WHEREAS, there are high rates of tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and syphilis reported among migrants from the Freely Associated States; and

WHEREAS, there is no centralized plan for the provision of medical and social services to this population; and

WHEREAS, a task force should be convened to investigate and coordinate the provision of medical and social services to migrants from Freely Associated States; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a task force to investigate and coordinate the provision of medical and social services to migrants from Freely Associated States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include a representative of:

(1) The Department of Health;

(2) The Department of Human Services;

(3) The Department of Education;

(4) The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations;

(5) The University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine; and

(6) The East-West Center; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to:

(1) Consult with the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs in Hawaii regarding what federal funds and services are available to assist Freely Associated States citizens in Hawaii;

(2) Research whether a current census exists regarding the number of Freely Associated States citizens living, working, and attending school in Hawaii, and if no data exists, consult with the United States Census Bureau on obtaining this information in future national or regional census; and

(3) Investigate the medical and social services needs of migrants from Freely Associated States and make recommendations regarding how to plan for and coordinate the provision of services to this population; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit an interim report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2008 Regular Session, and to submit a final report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2009 Regular Session on the actions taken, information gathered, and any recommendations made by the task force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Chair of the Board of Education, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, President of the East-West Center, and

Director of the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs in Hawaii.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Freely Associated States; Task Force

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	142
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII