Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 3, 1 March 1987 — Mai Wakinekona [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mai Wakinekona

Federal Legislation: Health and Education

By Larry Kamakawiwo'ole Federal Liaison Officer

I have recently returned from an Office of Hawaiian Affairs business trip to Honolulu. I am always glad to hear that many of you read my monthly eolumn. Mahalo nui loa for your support and kind words of encouragement. During the first session of Congress, health and education are the priorities

in native Hawaiian federal legislation. S. 136 is the native Hawaiian health bill, and S. 360 is the native Hawaiian education bill. Senator Daniel K. Inouye introduced both bills with Senator Spark M. Matsunaga as cosponsor, and both bills have been referred to the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs for consideration. As you may know, health and education have been priorities in the Hawaiian communities. See OHA's Population Survey/Needs Assessment, June 1986. Consequently, 1 am devoting this article to S. 136 and S. 360. Please follow those two important bills during the current session of Congress. S. 136 includes seven programs: (1) Health promotion and disease prevention; (2) Demonstration project for health promotion and disease prevention; (3) Community health centers; (4) Health service scholarship; (5) Health care referral service; (6) Access to medicare and medicaid services; and (7) Pacific Basin Disease Research Institute. 1. Heahh Promotion and Disease Prevention — $600,000 for fisca! year 1987 and for eaeh succeeding fiscal year. Programs include: (1) provide maternal, child and mental health care, through the establishment of community health centers; (2) provide for the eollection of data related to the prevention of diseases and illnesses among native Hawaiians; (3) provide for medical and general health-related research into diseases most prevalent among native Hawaiians; (4) provide for research into mental health problems most prevalent among native Hawaiians; (5) provide for education in health promotion and disease prevention by native Hawaiian community outreach workers and native Hawaiian nurses; (6) provide for health planning in maternal and child health, nutrition, disease prevention, health promotion, health education, and mental health; and (7) provide training for native Hawaiian community health outreach workers as paraprofessionals in the provision of health care and health education. Competitive bidding. Secretary of Health and Human Service ("Secretary") contracts with native Hawaiian organizations. Establishment of a Native Hawaiian Heahh Promotion and Disease Prevention Advisory Board. The Secretary appoints board members from a list of nominees representing various organizations including Alu Like ine., OHA, E Ola Mau, Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, Lili'uokalani Trust and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. OHA's representative shall serve three-year terms, 2. Demonstration Project for health promotion and disease prevention including health education and mental health care. $500,000 for eaeh fiscal year 1987 through 1989. Competitive bidding. 3. Community Health Centers. $800,000 for planning grants (no more than eight in number and of no more than $100,000 per grant), and $1.8 million for establishing a maximum of eight community health eenters.

4. Health Service Scholarship Program. $1.8 million for fiscal year of 1987 and for eaeh succeeding year. 5. Heahh Care Referral Services. $625,000 for fiseal year 1987 and for eaeh succeeding year for contact requirements. Services include: (a) determine the population of native Hawaiians who are, or should be, recipients of health care referral services; (b) determine the current health status of native Hawaiians served by the native Hawaiian organization; (e) identify all public and private health services resources whieh are, or could be, available to native Hawaiians; (d) assist native Hawaiians in becoming familiar with such health services sources and in utilizing them; and (e) provide basic health education to native Hawaiians. 6. Access to Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Secretary shall conduct a study to carry out this program. 7. Pacific Basin Disease Research Institute. $5 miliion grant to the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the construction of the Institute. The federal share is 50 percent. Definition of "native Hawaiian organization": Any organization whieh is recognized by OHA and E Ola Mau for the purpose of planning, conducting, or administering programs (or portion of programs) authorized under this Act. . . Definition of "native Hawaiian": any individual who has any ancestors that were natives, prior to 1778, of the area that now comprises the State of Hawaii. S. 360 includes five programs: (1) Native Hawaiian Model Curriculum Implementation Project; (2) Native Hawaiian Family Based Centers; (3) Native Hawaiian Higher Education Demonstration Program; (4) Native Hawaiian Gifted and Talented Demonstration Program; and (5) Native Hawaiian Special Education Program. 1. Native Hawaiian Model Curriculum Implementation Project. $3 million for fiscal year 1988, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 1989 through 1993. The purpose of this project is to implement the Kamehameha EIementary Education Program (KEEP) model curriculum in the public school system. In order to accomplish that, the Secretary of Education shall make direct grants to the following: (a) the State of Hawai'i (University of Hawai'i) for comprehensive teacher training; (b) the State Department of Education for educational support services; (e) the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate for eontinued research and development; and (d) the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate and the State of Hawai'i for the establishment of long-term followup and assessment activities. ' By the school year 1992-1993, the KEEP model curneulum shall be implemented in a minimum of 20 public schools. 2. Native Hawaiian Family Based Education Centers. $2.4 million for fiscal year 1988, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 1989 through 1993. There shall be a minimum of 11 centers located throughout the State of Hawai'i, and the centers' program shall include the following: (a) parent-infant programs (prenatal through age 3); (b) preschool programs for four and five year-olds; (e) continued research and development; and (d) a long term followup and assessment program. In order to accomplish the centers' program, the Secretary of Education shall make direct grants to native Hawaiian organizations (including native Hawaiian educational organizations) to develop and operate the centers. A "native Hawaiian organization", means a private nonprofit organization that serves the interests of native Hawaiians, and is recognized by the Governor of Hawai'i for the purposeof planning, conductingoradministering programs (or portion of programs) for the benefit of native Hawaiians. A "native Hawaiian edueahonal organization" means a private nonprofit organization that serves the interests of native Hawaiians, has a demonstrated expertise in the education of native Hawaiian youth, and has demonstrated expertise in research and program deveiopment. 3. Native Hawaiian Higher Education Demonstration Program. The program is comprised of two parts: (a) $1.25 million for fiscal year 1988 and for eaeh succeeding fiscal year through 1993. This is a demonstration program to provide higher education fellowship assistance to native Hawaiian students. The program may include scholarship assistance to Hawaiian studentsenrolled at an accredited two or four year college or university, counseling and support services for students receiving scholarship assistance, college preparation and guidance counseling at the secondary school level for students who may be eligible for scholarship assistance, and appropriate research and evaluation of the activities in this program. Grants shall go to the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate for the program. (b) $750,000 for fiscal year 1988 and for eaeh succeeding fiscal year through 1993. This is a demonstration project of scholarship assistance for native Hawaiian students in graduate degree programs. Professions given priority will be those in whieh native Hawaiians are under-represented. The project may include activities

similar to those found in the foregoing program. The Secretary of Education shall make grants to the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate for the project. Note that the scholarship assistance for native Hawaiians graduate students has a condition: that those students serve the native Hawaiian community within the State of Hawai'i either during their time in graduate school or upon completion of the program. 4. Native Hawaiian Gifted and Talented Demonstration Program. $1 million for fiscal year 1988 and for eaeh succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year 1993. This is a demonstration program to address the special needs of native Hawaiians gifted and talented elementary and secondary school students. The program may include the following: (a) early identification (elementary school level) of the special needs of gifted and talented students; (b) educational activities that promise to make substantial progress toward meeting the educational needs of gifted and talented children; (e) use of public television in meeting the special educational needs of the gifted and talented children; (d) leadership programs designed to replicate programs for the gifted and talented students throughout the State of Hawai'i; and (f) appropriate research, evaluation and related activities pertaining to the needs of the gifted and talented students. The Secretary of Education shall make grants to and enter into contracts with the State of Hawai'i including its community colleges, and/or the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate in order to accomplish the oroaram.

5. Native Hawaiian Special Education Program. $1.5 million for fiscal year 1988 and for eaeh succeeding fiscal year through 1993. This program addresses the special education needs of native Hawaiians who have certain learning disabilities, mentally or physically handicapped, educable mentally retarded, or otherwise in need of special educational services. The program may include education activities whieh promise success in meeting the special educational needs of those native Hawaiian students, and appropriate research, evaluation, and related activities pertaining to the needs of those students. The Secretary of Education shall make grants to and enter into contracts with the State of Hawai'i, and/or native Hawaiian organizations in order to accomplish the program. Note that the definition of a "native Hawaiian" in S. 360 contains more elements than the definition of a native Hawaiian in S. 136. For example, the term native Hawaiian in S. 360 means any individual who is: (a) a citizen of the United States, (b) a resident of the State of Hawai'i, (e) a descendant of the aboriginal people, who prior to 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now comprises the State of Hawai'i. A native Hawaiian must show proof of his or her ancestry by geneological records, kupuna or kama'aina verification, or birth records of the State of Hawai'i.