STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1073

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 108

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs, Human Services, and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 108 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO INCLUDE RESIDENT CITIZENS OF THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES WHO LAWFULLY RESIDE IN THE UNITED STATES AS "QUALIFIED ALIENS" UNDER THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996 IN RECOGNIZING THEIR UNIQUE HISTORIC AND ONGOING SACRIFICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the United States Congress to include citizens of the Freely Associated States who lawfully reside in the United States as "qualified aliens" under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 in recognizing their unique historic and ongoing sacrifices and contributions to the United States of America.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Health Care Association of Hawaii, Japanese American Citizens League, Nations of Micronesia Committee, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Kokua Kalihi Valley Health Center, Hawaii Appleseed Center, COFA Community Advocacy Network, Healthy Pacific Organization, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, SHIP-HOOPS, Hepatitis Support Network of Hawaii, Micronesian Community Network, and thirteen individuals.  Your Committees received comments from two individuals.

 

     The Freely Associated States of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia comprise a multitude of islands, languages, and cultures throughout the Micronesian regions of the Pacific Ocean.  The Compacts of Free Association between the Freely Associated States and the United States of America recognize the historic sacrifices and contributions of the citizens of the Freely Associated States to the interests of the United States of America, including the use of their island atolls for sixty-seven nuclear tests from 1946 to 1958, which subjected Marshallese people to human radiation experiments without their knowledge or their consent; and the occupation by the United States military of the island atolls to ensure control of the Pacific.

 

     In addition to these sacrifices, the sons and daughters of the citizens of the Freely Associated States continue to lay down their lives in the interest of the United States, representing some of the highest levels of per-capita military personnel recruitment levels to the United States military compared to any other jurisdiction, including the fifty states comprising the United States of America.

 

     Despite the rights to reside and seek economic opportunity in the United States as granted to the citizens of the Freely Associated States, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 denied citizens of the Freely Associated States who reside in the United States eligibility for numerous federal benefits, including Medicaid, Social Security Income, food stamps, housing, and other social safety nets that are accessible by other legal resident immigrants.

 

     H.R. 912, "Restoring Medicaid for Compact of Free Association Migrants Act of 2013", in the United States House of Representatives, as introduced by United States Representative Colleen Hanabusa on February 28, 2013, amends title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to restore Medicaid coverage for citizens of the Freely Associated States lawfully residing in the United States under the Compacts of Free Association between the Government of the United States and the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.  This measure supports efforts such as H.R. 912 to provide relief to these individuals from Hawaii's burdensome uncompensated Medicaid costs.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs, Human Services, and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 108 and recommend its adoption.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and International Affairs, Human Services, and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair		____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair
		____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair