| HR 2716 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2716
To amend the Compact
of Free Association of 1985 to provide for adequate Compact-impact aid.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2003
Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr.
ABERCROMBIE, Mr. CASE, and Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the
Committees on International Relations, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture,
and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction
of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Compact
of Free Association of 1985 to provide for adequate Compact-impact aid.
Be it enacted by the
Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS;
PURPOSE.
(a) SHORT TITLE- This Act
may be cited as the `Compact-Impact Reimbursement Act'.
(b) FINDINGS- Congress finds
the following:
(1) In approving the Compact
of Free Association it was not the intent of Congress to cause adverse
consequences for Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, or the State of Hawaii.
(2) Congress declared that
if any adverse consequences to Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, or the State of Hawaii resulted from implementation
of the Compact of Free Association, Congress would act sympathetically
and expeditiously to redress those adverse consequences.
(3) The General Accounting
Office has reported that migration from the Freely Associated States has
had a significant impact on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and the State of Hawaii.
(4) By placing demands on
local governments for health, educational, and other social services, migration
under the Compact has adversely affected the budgetary resources of Guam,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the State of Hawaii.
(5) Insufficient sums have
been appropriated to cover the costs incurred by Guam, the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the State of Hawaii, resulting from
increased demands placed on health, educational, and other social services
by individuals from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of
the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
(c) PURPOSE- It is the purpose
of this Act to address the unfunded Federal mandate and adverse financial
consequences resulting from the Compact by meeting the obligations set
forth in the Compact.
SEC. 2. ENSURING MANDATORY APPROPRIATIONS
AND HEALTH SERVICES REIMBURSEMENT AS PART OF COMPACT-IMPACT AID.
(a) IN GENERAL- Section
104(e)(6) of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 (48 U.S.C. 1904(e)(6))
is amended to read as follows:
`(A) AUTHORIZATION AND CONTINUING
APPROPRIATIONS-
`(i) IN GENERAL- There is
hereby authorized and appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior, for
each fiscal year from 2004 through 2023, $35,000,000 for grants to Guam,
the State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
and American Samoa to aid in defraying costs incurred by their governments
as a result of increased demands placed on health, educational, social,
or public safety services or infrastructure related to such services due
to the residence of qualified nonimmigrants.
`(ii) AWARDING- The grants
under clause (i) shall be--
`(I) awarded and administered
by the Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, or any successor
thereto, in accordance with regulations, policies and procedures applicable
to grants so awarded and administered; and
`(II) used only for health,
educational, social, or public safety services, or infrastructure related
to such services, specifically affected by qualified nonimmigrants.
`(iii) ENUMERATION- For
purposes of carrying out this subparagraph, the Secretary of the Interior
shall provide for periodic enumerations of qualified nonimmigrants in Guam,
the State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
and American Samoa. The enumerations--
`(I) shall be conducted
at such intervals as the Secretary of the Interior shall determine, but
no less frequently than every five years, beginning in fiscal year 2004;
and
`(II) shall be supervised
by the United States Bureau of the Census or other organization as the
Secretary of the Interior may select.
`(iv) ALLOCATION- The Secretary
of the Interior shall allocate to each of the governments of Guam, the
State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
American Samoa, grants under clause (i) for a fiscal year on the basis
of the ratio of the number of qualified nonimmigrants (as most recently
enumerated under clause (iii)) in the respective jurisdiction to the total
of such numbers for all the jurisdictions.
`(B) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN
HEALTH CARE IMPACT COSTS- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for
purposes of providing medical assistance for qualified nonimmigrants under
title XIX of the Social Security Act in the case of a State or territory
referred to in subparagraph (A)(i)--
`(i) such individuals shall
be treated in the same manner as an individual described in section 402(a)(2)(G)
of Public Law 104-193, as amended;
`(ii) the Federal medical
assistance percentage shall be the same percentage as is applied to medical
assistance for services which are received through an Indian Health Service
facility; and
`(iii) payments under such
title for medical assistance for such individuals shall not be taken into
account in applying any limitations under section 1108 of the Social Security
Act.
`(C) QUALIFIED NONIMMIGRANT
DEFINED- In this paragraph, term `qualified nonimmigrant' means a person
admitted to the United States pursuant to--
`(i) section 141 of the
Compact of Free Association set forth in title II; or
`(ii) section 141 of the
Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Government
of Palau.'.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- Section
104(e)(6)(B) of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, as amended
by subsection (a), shall apply to medical assistance for items and services
furnished on or after October 1, 2003.
SEC. 3. ENSURING FOOD STAMPS
ELIGIBILITY AS PART OF COMPACT-IMPACT AID.
(a) IN GENERAL- Section
104(e)(6) of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 (48 U.S.C. 1904(e)(6)),
as amended by section 2, is further amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph
(C) as subparagraph (D); and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph
(B) the following new subparagraph:
`(C) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN
SOCIAL IMPACT COSTS- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with respect
to the food stamp program as defined in section 3(h) of the Food Stamp
Act of 1977--
`(i) sections 401(a) and
402(a)(1) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act of 1996 shall not apply to a qualified nonimmigrant to the same extent
that such sections 401(a) and 402(a)(1) do not apply to the individuals
described in section 402(a)(2)(G) of the Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 by reason of such section 402(a)(2)(G);
and
`(ii) section 16(e)(1) of
the Food Stamp Act of 1977 shall not apply to a qualified nonimmigrant.'.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- Section
104(e)(6)(C) of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, as inserted
by subsection (a), shall apply on and after October 1, 2003.
SEC. 4. ENSURING THE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS PART OF COMPACT-IMPACT AID.
Section 105(o) of the Compact
of Free Association Act of 1985 (48 U.S.C. 1905(o)) is amended to read
as follows:
`(o) COMMUNICABLE DISEASE
CONTROL PROGRAMS- There are authorized to be appropriated for grants to
the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of
the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Guam, the State of Hawaii,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa such
sums as may be necessary for purposes of establishing or continuing programs
for the control and prevention of communicable diseases, including (but
not limited to) cholera and Hansen's Disease. The Secretary of the Interior
shall assist the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Guam, the State
of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American
Samoa in designing and implementing such programs.'.
SEC. 5. ENSURING AVAILABILITY
OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEDICAL FACILITIES AND NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
CORPS SERVICES AS PART OF COMPACT-IMPACT AID.
Section 105(k) of the Compact
of Free Association Act of 1985 (48 U.S.C. 1905(k)) is amended to read
as follows:
`(k) AVAILABILITY OF DEFENSE
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS SERVICES-
`(1) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
FACILITIES- The Secretary of Defense shall make available the medical facilities
of the Department of Defense for use by individuals from the Federated
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic
of Palau who are properly referred to such facilities by government authorities
responsible for provision of medical services in the Federated States of
Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau,
Guam, the State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
and American Samoa.
`(2) NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
CORPS SERVICES- The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall continue
to make the services of the National Health Service Corps available to
the residents of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, to the same extent and for
long as such services are authorized to be provided to persons residing
in any other areas within or outside the United States.'.
SEC. 6. ENSURING RETIREMENT
OF MEDICAL REFERRAL DEBTS AS PART OF COMPACT-IMPACT AID.
Section 105(d) of the Compact
of Free Association Act of 1985 (48 U.S.C. 1905(d)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraphs
(1) and (2) and inserting the following:
`(1) IN GENERAL- In addition
to the funds provided in Title Two, Article II, section 221(b) of the Compact,
the United States shall make available to the Governments of the Federated
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic
of Palau such sums as may be necessary for the payment of the obligations
incurred for the use of medical facilities in the United States, including
any territories and commonwealths, by individuals from the Federated States
of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of
Palau, before October 1, 2003.';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs
(3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and
(3) in paragraph (2), as
so redesignated, by striking `or (2) of this subsection, as the case may
be'.
END
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