THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	151
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

strongly urging the united states department of the interior and the united states congress to provide additional federal aid AND SUPPORT to the state of hawaii FOR financial, medical, AND OTHER FEDERAL assistance for migrants covered by the compact of free association.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the United States entered into a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau in 1983, which granted citizens of these nations the ability to freely enter the United States and have access to domestic social welfare programs; and

 

     WHEREAS, under this Compact, COFA migrants are allowed to freely enter the State of Hawaii and are granted access to certain state services, such as education and health care; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), that makes needy persons from COFA nations ineligible from receiving federally funded financial and medical assistance; and

 

     WHEREAS, when the PRWORA went into effect in 1997, Hawaii continued to provide equivalent services for COFA migrants using State funds; and

 

     WHEREAS, the cost to the State to provide various services to COFA migrants continues to increase every year and strains the State's resources; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2014, it was estimated that the State spent $163 million on COFA migrants, and of that amount, 53 percent was spent on education and 44 percent was spent on health and social services; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2017, Hawaii spent between $30 and $40 million on healthcare costs alone, more than twice the approximately $12 million the State receives in federal Compact Impact Assistance funding; and

 

     WHEREAS, if the PRWORA is amended to allow COFA migrants to receive federally funded financial and medical assistance, the State would not have to expend state funds to provide the equivalent services, thus allowing more of the State's general funds to be used for services and programs for which federal funding is not available; and

 

     WHEREAS, in addition to amending the PRWORA, the State would likely see a decrease in cost if the United States government provided much needed dialysis and chemotherapy centers in Micronesia and all areas covered by the Compact; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United States government must address the issue of additional federal support for the State to continue providing state services to COFA migrants arising from the unique federally created relationship between the United States and the COFA nations; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, the House of Representatives concurring, that the United States Department of the Interior and the Congress of the United States are strongly urged to provide additional federal aid and support to the State of Hawaii for financial, medical, and other federal assistance for the migrants covered by the Compact of Free Association; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, is strongly urged to review the funding of the Compact Impact Assistance grant and to make every effort to increase the amount of direct assistance available to Hawaii to offset costs incurred by the State; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Congress is strongly urged to support federal legislation to amend the PRWORA to render COFA migrants eligible to receive federally funded financial and medical assistance; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Department of the Interior is strongly urged to identify and secure other forms of direct assistance to the State and COFA population in the United States, including grants from other sources and federal programs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Department of the Interior is strongly urged to provide dialysis and chemotherapy centers in Micronesia and in all areas within the Compact to decrease health care costs in the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Office of Insular Affairs, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

COFA; Federal Funds