STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1773

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 77

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 77 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO UNDERTAKE A STUDY TO REPORT ON THE STATUS AND NEEDS OF EXISTING TEACHER HOUSING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to conduct a study to report on the status of and needs for teacher housing.

     Your Committees held a hearing on a proposed S.D. 1 of this measure, which provisions sought to address the current needs of individuals from the Freely Associated States residing in Hawaii through the convening of a task force by the Department of Health to ascertain the current Freely Associated States population in Hawaii and the availability of services for that population.  The contents of the measure regarding teacher housing have been inserted into another appropriate measure.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Community Services.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committees find that as a result of the Compact of Free Association, large populations from the Freely Associated States, which includes individuals from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshal Islands, have immigrated to Hawaii.  The current number of this population is unclear and the need for and availability of services for them is also unclear.  However, what is clear is that they require assistance to assimilate, work, become educated, be healthy, and flourish in the State.  This measure requests the convening of a task force to study the current needs of this population and determine what services are available under the current framework of the Compact of Free Association so that we may better serve these individuals and they may become highly contributing members of the community.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by removing the title and its contents and replacing it with the contents of the proposed S.D. 1 that requests the Department of the Attorney General to convene a task force to:

     (1)  Determine the number of Freely Associated States nationals currently residing in Hawaii; and

     (2)  Review the infrastructure supports that are available to this population under the Compact of Free Association.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 77, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 77, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair