Hawaii will receive $15.8 million from the U.S. Department of the Interior to help defray the state’s cost of providing services to citizens of the Freely Associated States who live in Hawaii.
What You Need To Know
In fiscal year 2022, approximately 16,300 residents of nations belonging to the Compact of Free Association received medical insurance coverage or premium assistance
In acknowledgment of the negative impacts suffered as a result of U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. and affected nations entered into a 1985 compact, which allows citizens of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands to move to the United States without time limits or visas
However, the 1996 Welfare Reform Act cut off COFA nationals from many safety net programs
In a release issued on Friday, the state Department of Human Services said it recognizes the COFA community’s barriers to accessing quality health care
Gov. Josh Green accepted the 2023 Compact Impact grant of $15,798,564 from Interior Department assistant secretary for insular and international affairs Carmen Cantor.
