Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 12, 1 December 1988 — Mai Wakinekona [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mai Wakinekona

Leaders united in 1 Congress

Hawaii Delegation Si

Scores Big Success f

The Hawai'i eon-

gressional delegation worked hard and stood united in its commitment to Native Hawaiians regarding Federal legislation and Federal funding in the 100th Congress. As a result it was probably the most successful one yet for Native Ha-

waiians. Congress adjourned sine die on Saturday,

Oct. 22. Senator Daniel K. lnouye led the delegation in successfully obtaining federal funds for Native Hawaiians in areas including education, health, and eeonomie development. Senator Spark M. Matsunaga also provided strong leadership in obtaining federal funds in areas including health, education, and veterans' affairs. On the other side of Capitol Hill, Congressman Daniel K. Akaka provided strong leadership in securing Native Hawaiian provisions in federal legislation. Congresswoman Patricia F. Saiki lent invaluable leadership in garnering support for Native Hawaiian legislation among Republicans. In my next article, I will have a final wrap-up of all Native Hawaiian legislation in the 100th Congress. TTie final weeks of the last Congress saw the following bills move through the legislative process:

Bill Number: H.R. 5210 Title: Omnibus Anti-Substance Abuse Act of 1988. Status: Signed into law Nov. 18 by President Reagan. No public law number yet assigned. Brief Description : To prevent the manufacturing, distribution, and use of illegal drugs through education, treatment, law enforcement and more severe penalties, assistance to states and foreign countries, etc.

Native Hawaiian Provisions: 1. Substance abuse treatment assistance programs. Contracts between the Secretary of Health and Human Services and public and private organizations for the latter to research, plan, conduct, and administer substance abuse programs for Native Hawaiians. Public and private organizations must primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians (including the Salvation Army) and be recognized by the governor of Hawai'i. Authorization of Appropriations: Substance abuse treatment assistance programs shall receive 0.2 percent of the amounts appropriated in eaeh of the fiscal years 1989 through 1993 for Hawai'i. As of Oct. 31, that amount has yet to be determined. 2. Native Hawaiian Heahh Care Act of 1988. This Act was originally S. 136, the Native Hawaiian health bill. It was incorporated into H.R. 5210 and therefore adds several Native Hawaiian provisions to the latter bill. S. 136, as amended by the House Oct. 12, includes the following provisions: A. Comprehensive heahh care master plan for Native Hawaiians. The Secretary of Health and Human Services ("Secretary") may make a grant to, or enter into a contract with, Papa Ola Lokahi to develop a Native Hawaiian comprehensive health care master plan designed to promote comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention services and to maintain and improve the hea!th status of Native Hawaiians. Papa Ola Lokahi is an organization composed of E Ola Mau, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, AIu Like ine., University of Hawai'i, and the Office of Hawaiian Health of the Hawai'i State Department of Health. Authorization of Appropriations: Fiscal year 1990: $700,000. B. Native Hawaiian heahh centers. The Secretary, in consultation with Papa Ola Lokahi, may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, any qualified entity to provide comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention services in addition to primary health services to Native Hawaiians. The Secretary shall give preference to

Native Hawaiian health centers and Native Hawaiian organizations in makinggrants andentering into contracts with qualified entities. During a fiscal year, the Secretary may make a grant to, or hold a contract with, not more than nine qualified entities, as follows: (1) two entities serving individuals on Kaua'i and Ni'ihau; (2) two entities serving individuals on O'ahu; (3) two entities serving individuals on Maui; (4) two entities serving individuals on Hawai'i; and (5) one entity serving individuals on Moloka'i and Lana'i. Eaeh qualified entity receiving funds shall provide services whieh include the following: (2) outreach services to inform Native Hawaiians of the availability of health services; (2) education in health promotion and disease prevention of Native Hawaiians by (wherever possible) Native Hawaiian health care practitioners, community outreach workers, counselors, and cultural educators; (3) services of physicians' assistants, or nurse practitioners; (4) immunization; (5) prevention and control of diabetes, high blood pressure, and otitis media; (6) pregnancy and infant care; and (7) improvement of nutrition. These services may be provided by traditional Native Hawaiian healers. Definitions: A qualified entity is (a) a Native Hawaiian health center; (b) a Native Hawaiian organization; or (e) a public or nonprofit private health provider. A Native Hawaiian health center is an entity (a) whieh is organized under the laws of the State of Hawai'i; (b) whieh provides or arranges for health care services through practitioners licensed by the State of Hawai'i, where licensure requirements are applicable; (e) whieh is a public or nonprofit private entity, and (d) in whieh Native Hawaiian health practitioners significantly participate in the planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation of health services. A Native Hawaiian organization is one (a) whieh serves the interests of Native Hawaiians; (b) whieh is (i) recognized by Papa Ola Lokahi to plan, conduct, or administer programs for the benefit of Native Hawaiians, (ii) certified by Papa Ola Lokahi as having the qualifications andcapacity to provide the services and meet the requirements in the grant or contract the organization receives from the Secretary; (e) in whieh Native Hawaiian health practitioners significantly participate in the planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation of health services; and (d) whieh is a public or nonprofit private entity. A traditional Native Hawaiian healer is a practitioner (a) who (i) is of Hawaiian ancestry, and (ii) has the knowledge, skills, and experience in direct personal health care of individuals, and (b) whose knowledge, skills, and experience are based on a demonstrated leaming of Native Hawaiian healing practices acquired by (i) direct practical association with Native Hawaiian elders, and (ii) oral traditions transmitted from generation to generation. Authorization of Appropriations: Fiscal year 1991: $5 million; fiscal year 1992: $10 million. C. Planning grant or contract for Native Hawaiian hecJth centers. The Secretary may make a grant to, or enter into acontract with, Papa Ola Lokahi to plan Native Hawaiian health centers to serve the health needs of Native Hawaiian eommunities on Hawai'i, Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i, O'ahu, Kaua'i, and Ni'ihau. Authorization of Appropriations: Fiscal year 1990: $900,000. D. Administrative grant for Papa Ola Lokahi. The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, Papa Ola Lokahi for (a) coordination, implementation, and updating of the eomprehensive health care master plan; (b) training for the Native Hawaiian health care practitioners, community outreach workers, counselors, and cultural educators for the purpose of educating Native Hawaiians in health promotion and disease

pport of Federal Aid

Dr Native Hawaiians

By Larry Kamakawiwo'ole Federal Liaison Officer

prevention; or (c) identification of and research into the diseases that are most prevalent among Native Hawaiians, including behavioral, biomedical, epidemilogical, and health services. Authorization of Appropriations: Fiscal years 1990 through 1992: $1 million per year. Total: $3 million.

Bill Number: H.R. 5261 Title: Indian Health Care Amendments of 1988. Status: As of October 31, this legislation was cleared for the White House but has not gone to the president yet. Brief Description: To reauthorize funding for certain Indian health programs established by the Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976. This legislation includes the following: (1) extension of the existing Indian health manpower programs; (2) authorization of new initiatives to address the growing shortage of doctors, nurses, dentists, and other health professionals; (3) emphasis on diabetes prevention, treatment, and control; (4) increase of allocations to tribes that are most deficient in health care providers, facilities, and other resources; (5) development and implementation of a plan to reduce infant and maternal mortality and fetal aleohol syndrome among American Indians and Alaska Natives; and (6) a Native Hawaiian health scholarship program. Native Hawaiian provisions: 1. Native Hawaiian health scholarship program. Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary of Health and Human Services ("Secretary") shall provide scholarship assistance, pursuant to a contract with the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, to students who are Native Hawaiians. This scholarship program shall not be administered by or through the Indian Health Service. Authorization of Appropriations: Fiscal years 1990 through 1992: $1.8 million per year. Total: $5.4 million. 2. Health care for rural areas. The Secretary shall make grants to any eligible applicant who shall, among other requirements, designate a rural health care agency or agencies for elinieal treatment or training, including Native Hawaiian health centers. An eligible applicant is (a) a nonprofit organization; (b) public or nonprofit colleges or universities; or (e) programs that specialize in certain health profession fields. Note: This legislation originally contained a Native Hawaiian health and disease prevention demonstration project. That demonstration project was repealed by the incorporation of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act of 1988 into H.R. 5210.

Bill Number: H.R. 4833 Title: Nursing Shortage Reduction and Education Extension Act of 1988. Brief Description: To respond to the serious shortage of professional nurses by extending the programs of assistance under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act and to provide incentives to increase the number ofyoung men and woman who pursue careers in nursing through some of the following ways: (1) to provide undergraduate scholarships to financially needy individuals; (2) to repay nursing loans of individuals willing to serve in designated health care facilities with critical nurse shortages; (3) to develop innovative nursing practice models; (4) to provide nursing opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds; (5) to advance nurse

education by supporting programs preparing professional nurses to serve as nurse educators, administrators, or researchers; (6) to support programs for the education of nurse practitioners and nurse midwives to work in health care institutions, and (7) to provide professional nurses with traineeships as nurse practitioners, nurse administrators, nurse educators, and nurse researchers. Native Hawaiian Provisions: 1. Native Hawaiian health center. A Native Hawaiian health center qualifies as a health care facility for fulfilling a traineeship service obligation. 2. The Federal government's repayment of student loans. For the purpose of providing incentives for nurses to practice in a hospital or nursing home, the Federal government will repay student loans if applicants agree to serve as a nurse in a Native Hawaiian health center for a period of not less than two years. 3. Condition for receiving undergraduate scholarships for nursing education. A condition for receiving an undergraduate scholarship for nursing education is that the individual shall serve as a nurse for a period of not less than two years in health facilities determined to have a critical shortage of nurses, such as a Native Hawaiian health center. *

Bill Number: H.R. 4432 Title: To amend title 13, United States Code, to require certain detailed tabulations re!ating to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the decennial censuses of populahon. Status: The President also pocket vetoed (a veto onee Congress has adjourned) this legislation Nov. 8, 1988. Brief Description: To require the Census Bureau to use a checkoff format for the Asian American and Pacific Islander portion of the race item in the 1990 census and subsequent censuses, similar to the format used in 1980; to include a listing of the subgroups on the 1990 form whieh appeared in the 1980 census, relating to the racial category of Asian American or Pacific Islander, and the subgroups are Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, and Other; to include a write-in space for any Asian American or Pacific Islander subgroup not listed; and for the purpose of addressing the serious problem of delays in releasing data on the Asian American and Pacific Islander population after the decennial census is taken, this legislation requires the Secretary of Commerce to report and make available to the general public both the totals of the Asian American and Pacific Islander population and population by groups by December 31 of the year immediately following the year in whieh the decennial census is taken. Native Hawaiian Provision: The Secretary of Commerce shall tabulate and make available to the general public the population of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders both by total and by groups.

Bill Number: H.R. 4030 Title: To reauthorize and amend certain wildlife laws, and for other purposes. Status: Presented to the President Nov. 3 but he has not signed it yet. Brief Description: To enhanee the ability of the Federal government to enforce wildlife laws, including the authorization of appropriations for the expansion of Kilauea Point Nahonal Wildlife Refuge on Kaua'i.

Native Hawaiian Provision: The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire certain additional lands adjacent to the Kilauea Point Nahonal Wildlife Refuge on Kaua'i, whieh shall become part of the refuge. The lands to be acquired are Crater Hill, comprising approximately 101.1 acres, and Mokolea Point, eomprising 37.6 acres. Additionally, upon acquisition of Crater Hill and Mokolea Point, the Secretary of the Interior may (a) construct and maintain access foot trails, including pedestrian viewing trails; (b) construct an access road to facilitate law enforcement and ensure public safety; (e) acquire, or construct, and maintain a fence to provide for wildlife protection; (d) conduct native plant restoration and wildlife enhancement activities; and (e) establish a recreational area in the vicinity of Kahili Bay. Authorization of Appropriations: $2.6 million.

Bill Number: S.J. Res. 379 Title: To establish as the policy of the United States the preservation, protection, and promotion of the rights of indigenous Americans to use, practice, and develop Native American languages, and for other purposes. Status: Passed the Senate Oct. 1, referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor Oct. 3, and died in that committee. Brief Description : T o make a policy statement of the United States that it is the right of Native Americans to practice and develop their indigenous languages. The resolution also recommends that educational institutions recognize indigenous languages in the same way that foreign languages are recognized, including the inclusion of Native American languages in academic curneula. Native Haweūian Provision: It shall be the policy of the United States to preserve, protect, and promote the rights of indigenous Americans, including Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native American Pacific Islanders, to use, practice, and develop Native Amenean languages.

Bill Number: S. 2011 Title: Veterans' Benefits and Programs Improvement Act of 1988. Status: Reported in the Senate Aug. 1, by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, considered Oct. 18, and returned to the calendar on the same day. Died in the Senate. Indefinitely postponed. Brief Description: To increase the rates for disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation; to provide benefits for certain veterans exposed to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam; to authorize certain expansions in the Montgomery GI Bill; to improve the health-care benefits available to veterans suffering from service-connected, post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes. Native Hawaiian Provision: The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs shall conduct a comprehensive study concerning the prevalence, incidence, and effects of post-trau-matic stress disorder and other psychological problems experienced by Asian-American, Amer-ican-Indian, Native Hawaiian, other Native Ameriean Pacific Islanders (including American Samoan Natives), and Alaska Native Vietnam veterans in readjusting to civilian life. Special attention shall be devoted to veterans who have service-con-nected disabilities and to women veterans. Authorization of Appropriations: Fiscal year 1989: $1 million.