STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1793

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 142

       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 Health and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.R. No. 142 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE AND COORDINATE THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO MIGRANTS FROM FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that migrants from Freely Associated States have access to quality health care and social services by requesting the Department of Health to convene a task force to investigate and coordinate the provision of medical and social services to migrants from Freely Associated States.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Micronesians United, the Micronesian Community Network, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and two individuals.  The Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Institute for Human Services submitted testimony supporting the intent of this measure with recommendations.  The East-West Center submitted comments.

     Your Committees find that the increasing migration of individuals from Freely Associated States has affected Hawaii in terms of non-reimbursed health care, education, housing, and social services costs.  Therefore, your Committees find that it is imperative to investigate these impacts and to find solutions that will ensure that these valuable public services are accessible to those in need and that migrants from Freely Associated States have access to quality health care and social services.

     Your Committees amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the title to read as follows:

          "REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE AND COORDINATE THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, HOUSING, AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO MIGRANTS FROM FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES";

     (2)  Clarifying the need to not only address medical and social services needed, but also educational and housing services needed and the impact the need for the services has on schools;

     (3)  By including the following organizations in the task force:

          (A)  The Micronesian Community Network;

          (B)  Micronesians United;

          (C)  The Institute for Human Services; and

          (D)  The University of Hawaii- West Oahu;

     (4)  Making the Department of the Attorney General the task force's convening authority;

     (5)  Removing the East-West Center from the task force membership;

     (6)  Adding Hawaii's Congressional delegation to the list of individuals to receive certified copies of this resolution; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 142, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 142, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair