Report Title:

Services for Freely Associated States Immigrants; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to provide cultural education and integration, language, and legal services for Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan immigrants in Hawaii in order to assist them in becoming contributing members of the community.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2348

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the Office of Community services.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii attracts migrating citizens from the Freely Associated States (FAS)—the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau—seeking education, health, and economic advancement for themselves and their families. However, currently, we are ill-equipped to facilitate their assimilation into our community. Representative of this occurrence, in the past few years there have been a growing number of FAS students enrolling in Hawaii's public schools who face numerous challenges due to cultural differences, including language barriers. These students lack not only the language skills, but also the cultural awareness necessary to survive, let alone excel, in their new environment.

The legislature further finds that it is incumbent upon the community to assist these FAS citizens residing in Hawaii so as to decrease the likelihood of their need to rely upon public assistance in the future. Consequently, the provision of assimilation services now can in turn increase their ability to become contributory members of the community, stimulating the State's economy through their employment and payment of taxes.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the office of community services for the provision of services to FAS students to ensure their success in school, as well as the Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan community at large, including but not limited to cultural education and integration, language, and legal services.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, to the office of community services of the department of labor and industrial relations to provide for cultural education and integration, language, and legal services to immigrants from the Freely Associated States, including but not limited to services to ensure that students from the Freely Associated States are equipped with the necessary tools and skills to achieve success in school.

The office of community services shall utilize the funds appropriated to contract with service providers for the aforementioned services. In contracting with providers to perform these services, the office of community services shall require that organizations demonstrate documented prior experience and a successful track record in servicing the Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities, as a condition to participation in the bidding process.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of labor and industrial relations for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. The office of community services shall submit a report to the legislature indicating the utilization of funds and services upon which such funds were expended not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2005.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.

INTRODUCED BY:

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