STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1310

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.C.R. No. 208

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 208 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION STRONGLY URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL AID TO AND REIMBURSE THE STATE OF HAWAII FOR EXPENSES RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE SERVICES PROVIDED TO MIGRANTS UNDER THE COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the United States Department of the Interior and the United States Congress to provide additional federal aid and reimbursements to the State of Hawaii for expenses relating to health care assistance services provided to migrants under the Compact of Free Association.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO supported this measure.  HealthyPacific.Org supported this measure and recommended the adoption of a proposed H.D. 1.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by

     (1)  Amending its title to read:  "STRONGLY URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TO RESTORE FEDERAL HEALTHCARE FUNDING FOR U.S. RESIDENTS PRESENT UNDER THE COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION, IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR UNIQUE HISTORIC AND ONGOING SACRIFICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE WORLD;" and

     (2)  Deleting its contents and inserting provisions based on the proposed H.D. 1 that was provided by HealthyPacific.Org, which urges the United States Congress and the United States Department of the Interior to restore federal healthcare funding for migrants from Freely Associated States residing in the United States.

     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 H.C.R. No. 208, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 208, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair