Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 1985 — Inouye Stays on Top of U.S. Measures Affectina Hawaiians [ARTICLE]

Inouye Stays on Top of U.S. Measures Affectina Hawaiians

By Wendy Roylo Hee Planning and Development Officer

care needs of native Hawaiians by June, 1985; Public Law 98-473, directing the Historic Preservation Fund of the National Park Service to review maritime resources, including Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hokule'a, to set priorities for preservation; Senate Report 98-544, requesting a report by the Aleohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) of the National Institute of Mental Health on funding recommendations for next year and its actions to address the needs of Hawaiians; Senate Report 98-544, requesting a report from the National lnstitute of Aleohol and Aleohol Abuse (NIAAA) on its actions to address the needs of Hawaiians. Hawaiians have also been enumerated as a special target populahon for several programs: Public Law 98-527, whieh names Hawaiians as a target population for Special Project Grants under the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984; Conference Report 98-1132, whieh directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to provide technical assistance to the University of Hawaii and its community college system to insure that sufficient funds are used to address the needs of native Americans under the Institutional Aid Program, Title III; Senate Bill 121 proposed by Sen. Inouye authorizing a special demonstration program within the Department of Education for gifted and talented Hawaiian children in elementary and secondary schools. Although a timetable has not been set for future legislation, it is anticipated that the following items will be forthcoming: • A bill to change Department of Hawaiian Home Lands blood quantum requirement for succession; • A bill to implement recommendations of the Native Hawaiian Study Commission Minority Report; and • A systematic effort to include native Hawaiians in educational programs of native Americans or American lndians OHA will continue to work with our Congressional delegation in tracking the progress of these and other federal activities that directly affect the Hawaiian community.

Senator Daniel K. Inouye has diligently kept the Office of Hawaiian Affairs apprised of federal legislation involving Hawaiians on whieh he or other members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation have been working. Hawaii has been fortunate in having Sen. Inouye, a senior member of the Senate, sit on major committees, such as Appropriations, including its subcommittees on Defense; Foreign Operations; Labor, Heallh and Human Services, and Education; Military Construction; and Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary. He also sits on the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, whieh is very important to the Hawaiian community, since we want to be able to share in all the native American programs. Currently the majority of those programs are restricted to the Indian and Alaskan populations only. According to Sen. Inouye, several recently-adopted laws set aside funds for programs that will benefit the Hawaiian community. They are: Public Law 98-524, whieh sets aside 0.25 percent of the funds under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, or $2 million for the next year, for contracts with "organizations primarily serving and representing Hawaiian natives whieh are recognized by the Governor of the State of Hawaii." (Governor Ariyoshi has recognized Alu Like as the organization to be receiving these funds.); Public Law 98-480, whieh set aside for Hawaiians 25 percent of the Indian allocation of the Library Services and Construction Act, or approximate!y $600,000. The Secretary of Education is directed to make grants to "organizations primarily serving and representing Hawaiian natives whieh are recognized by the Governor of the State of Hawaii"; Conference Report 98-1132, whieh earmarks $500,000 on a matching basis for a parent-child center at Kamehameha Schools under the Maternal and Child Health Program. In addition, Congress has mandated several studies of the Hawaiians or Hawaiian-related matters: Public Law 98-396, requesting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to report on health