STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3661

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 173

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.R. No. 173 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO DESIGNATE TWO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES TO ASSIST COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION MIGRANTS TO ENROLL IN MEDICAID,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Human Services to designate two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) employees to assist Compact of Free Association migrants to enroll in Medicaid, including establishing and implementing an outreach program to inform the Compact of Free Association community in Hawaii of the eligibility criteria and enrollment process.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the COFA Alliance National Network. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the United States has international treaty agreements, known as the Compacts of Free Association, with three island nations in the Pacific--the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau--collectively known as the Freely Associated States. Your Committee further finds that citizens of the Freely Associated States are given broad migration privileges to the United States and its jurisdictions as "Compact of Free Association migrants". Compact of Free Association migrants, upon entry into the United States, are given a "non-immigrant" immigration status without an expiration date, and therefore, can freely enter, exit, reside, and work indefinitely in the United States and its jurisdictions.

Your Committee also finds that the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260, restored Medicaid eligibility to Compact of Free Association migrants, which had been previously eliminated for the most part by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, P.L. 104-193. This measure will ensure that Compact of Free Association migrants in Hawaii are informed of the restoration of their Medicaid eligibility and provided with assistance in the enrollment process to receive available Medicaid coverage and services.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 173 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair