Compact Impact Relief Act
A BILL
To address the challenges of providing public services to citizens of the Freely Associated States residing in the United States, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 FMAP adjustment for affected jurisdictions equivalent to Compact migrant expenditures
Sec. 3 Payments relating to elementary and secondary education of citizens of Freely Associated States
“(6) educate alien children admitted to the United States as citizens of one of the Freely Associated States.”
“(H) resided in the United States pursuant to an admission into the United States as a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.”
“(G) Multiply the number of children described in paragraph (1)(H) by a factor of 1.25.”
“(h) Additional funding for eligible federally connected children—For the purpose of making additional payments for federally connected children described in section 8003(a)(1) under this title, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and for each succeeding fiscal year.”
Sec. 4 Expansion of national service programs
“(5) is a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States, or is a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau and admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant under the terms of the applicable Compact of Free Association with the United States.”
Sec. 5 Independent study and assessment of Compacts of Free Association
Sec. 6 Census enumeration of Compact migrants in affected jurisdictions
“(g)
“(1) With respect to each decennial census of population conducted under subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct an enumeration of qualified nonimmigrants in each affected jurisdiction.
“(2) For purposes of carrying out this subsection, the terms affected jurisdiction and qualified nonimmigrant have the meaning given those terms in section 104(e)(2)(A) and (B), respectively, of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–188; 48 U.S.C. 1921c(e)(2)(A) and (B)).”
Sec. 7 Bureau of economic analysis data regarding affected jurisdictions and Freely Associated States
Sec. 8 Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, and Insular Areas health data
“317U. Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, and insular areas health data
“(a) Definitions—In this section:
“(1) Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI)—The term Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders or NHOPI means people having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, or any other Pacific Island.
“(2) Community group—The term community group means a group of NHOPI who are organized at the community level, and may include a church group, social service group, national advocacy organization, or cultural group.
“(3) Nonprofit, nongovernmental organization—The term nonprofit, nongovernmental organization means a group of NHOPI with a demonstrated history of addressing NHOPI issues, including a NHOPI coalition.
“(4) Designated organization—The term designated organization means an entity established to represent NHOPI populations and which has statutory responsibilities to provide, or has community support for providing, health care.
“(5) Government representatives—The term government representatives means representatives from Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
“(6) Insular Area—The term Insular Area means American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
“(b) National strategy
“(1) In general—The Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Center for Health Statistics (referred to in this section as “NCHS”) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall develop and implement an ongoing and sustainable national strategy for identifying and evaluating the health status and health care needs for each NHOPI population, by ethnicity or nationality, living in the continental United States, Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
“(2) Consultation—In developing and implementing a national strategy, as described in paragraph (1), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Compact Impact Relief Act, the Secretary—
“(A) shall consult with representatives of community groups, designated organizations, and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations and with government representatives of NHOPI populations; and
“(B) may solicit the participation of representatives from other Federal departments and agencies.
“(c) Preliminary health survey
“(1) In general—The Secretary, acting through the Director of NCHS, shall conduct a preliminary health survey in order to identify the major areas and regions in the continental United States, Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau in which NHOPI people reside.
“(2) Contents—The health survey described in paragraph (1) shall include health data and any other data the Secretary determines to be—
“(A) useful in determining the health status and health care needs for each NHOPI population, by ethnicity or nationality, to the greatest extent practicable; or
“(B) required for developing or implementing a national strategy.
“(3) Methodology—Methodology for the health survey described in paragraph (1), including plans for designing questions, implementation, sampling, and analysis, shall be developed in consultation with community groups, designated organizations, nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, and government representatives of NHOPI populations, as determined by the Secretary.
“(4) Timeframe—The survey required under this subsection shall be completed not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of the Compact Impact Relief Act.
“(d) Progress report—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Compact Impact Relief Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a progress report, which shall include the national strategy described in subsection (b)(1), and make such report available on the public website of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“(e) HMD study and report
“(1) In general—The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study, with input from stakeholders in Insular Areas, on the following:
“(A) The standards and definitions of health care applied to health care systems in Insular Areas and the appropriateness of such standards and definitions.
“(B) The status and performance of health care systems in Insular Areas, evaluated based upon standards and definitions, as the Secretary determines.
“(C) The effectiveness of donor aid in addressing health care needs and priorities in Insular Areas.
“(D) The progress toward implementation of recommendations of the Committee on Health Care Services in the United States—Associated Pacific Basin of the National Academy of Medicine, including recommendations that were set forth in the 1998 report, “Pacific Partnerships for Health: Charting a New Course for the 21st Century”, as applicable to all Insular Areas except the Virgin Islands of the United States.
“(2) Report—An agreement described in paragraph (1) shall require the Health and Medicine Division to submit to the Secretary and to the Congress, and make readily available on a public website, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Compact Impact Relief Act, a report containing a description of the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1), including the conclusions and recommendations of the Health and Medicine Division for each of the items described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of such paragraph.
“(f) Authorization of appropriations—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2018 through 2022.”
Sec. 9 Local matching requirements for territories and affected jurisdictions
“(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, any Federal department or agency shall waive any requirement for local matching funds (including in-kind contributions) required to be provided by American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, or an eligible nongovernmental recipient in the aforementioned United States territories for any grant as follows:
“(1) For a grant requiring matching funds (including in-kind contributions) of $400,000 or less, the entire matching requirement shall be waived.
“(2) For a grant requiring matching funds (including in-kind contributions) of more than $400,000, $400,000 of the matching requirement shall be waived.
“(3) For a grant requiring matching funds (including in-kind contributions) of $600,000 or less to be paid by an affected jurisdiction as defined by section 104(e)(2) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (48 U.S.C. 1921c(e)(2)), the entire matching requirement shall be waived for unreimbursed impact expenses.
“(4) For a grant requiring matching funds (including in-kind contributions) of more than $600,000 to be paid by an affected jurisdiction as defined by section 104(e)(2) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (48 U.S.C. 1921c(e)(2)), $600,000 of the matching requirement shall be waived for unreimbursed impact expenses.”
Sec. 10 Local expenditures qualifying as in-kind contributions
Sec. 11 Eligibility for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs
Sec. 12 Amendments to Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
“(N) Exception for citizens of the freely associated states residing in the united states—With respect to eligibility for benefits for the specified Federal program defined in paragraph (3)(B) section 401(a) and paragraph (1) shall not apply—
“(i) to any citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau who lawfully resides in one of the several States or the District of Columbia as a nonimmigrant under the terms of the applicable Compact of Free Association with the United States; or
“(ii) at the request of the governors of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands, to any citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau who lawfully resides in the respective United States territory as a nonimmigrant under the terms of the applicable Compact of Free Association with the United States.”
“(G) Exception for citizens of the freely associated states residing in the United States—With respect to eligibility for benefits for the designated Federal program defined in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (3), section 401(a) and paragraph (1) shall not apply—
“(i) to any citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau who lawfully resides in one of the several States or the District of Columbia as a nonimmigrant under the terms of the applicable Compact of Free Association with the United States; or
“(ii) at the request of the governors of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands, to any citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau who lawfully resides in the respective United States territory as a nonimmigrant under the terms of the applicable Compact of Free Association with the United States.”
“(8) an alien who is a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau and admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant under the terms of the applicable Compact of Free Association with the United States.”