THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

181

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requests the county of hawai‘i to conduct a feasibility study on the creation of a marshallese community center in hawaiian ocean view estates.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Marshall Islands is a nation comprised of low-lying coral atolls and islands with an average elevation of two meters above sea level; and

 

     WHEREAS, the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels, extreme flooding, and drought have impacted agriculture, infrastructure, and daily life in the Marshall Islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Marshallese diaspora impacts over seven thousand migrants residing in Hawai‘i, of which fourteen hundred migrants reside in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates on Hawai‘i island; and

 

     WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has exacerbated the public health crisis and other social determinant of health opportunities for Pacific Islanders across the State, including populations in rural areas where there are limited and inequitable access to water, water waste, electricity, and health care; and

 

     WHEREAS, to create a safe, inclusive, and social environment for the Marshallese community in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, a community center can aid community solidarity through group activities, public information and assistance, social support, and perpetuation of culture; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the County of Hawai‘i, in collaboration with Marshallese leaders of the community, is requested to conduct a feasibility study on the creation of a Marshallese Community Center in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Hawai‘i is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i and members of the Hawai‘i County Council.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

County of Hawaii; Community Center; Marshallese Community; Feasibility Study