STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1537

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 158

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 158 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION STRONGLY URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL AID TO THE STATE OF HAWAII FOR THE PROVISION OF VARIOUS STATE SERVICES TO MIGRANTS FROM THE COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION NATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to strongly urge:

     (1)  The United States Department of the Interior and the Congress of the United States to provide additional federal aid to the State of Hawai‘i for the provision of various state services to migrants resulting from the Compacts of Free Association;

     (2)  The United States Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, to review the funding of the Compacts Impact Assistance grant and to make every effort to increase the amount of direct assistance available to the State of Hawai‘i to offset costs incurred by the State;

     (3)  The United States Congress to support federal legislation to amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to allow the Compacts of Free Association migrants to once again receive federally funded financial and medical assistance; and

     (4)  The United States Department of the Interior to identify and secure other forms of direct assistance to the State and the Compacts of Free Association population in the United States, including grants from other sources and federal programs.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Superintendent of Education and the Hawaii Government Employees Association.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that migrants from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, are allowed to enter the State of Hawai‘i under the Compacts of Free Association.  Many state agencies provide a broad range of health and social services to migrants from the Compact of Free Association nations who have moved to Hawai‘i.  The cost to the State of providing these services continues to increase each year.

     The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 prevents needy persons from the Compact of Free Association nations from receiving federally funded financial and medical assistance.  When that law went into effect in 1997, Hawai‘i continued to provide equivalent services for the Compacts of Free Association migrants using state funds.

     The federal government must address the issue of additional federal support for the State to continue providing state services arising from the unique federally-created relationship the United States has with the Compact of Free Association nations.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 158, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs,

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair