Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 November 1993 — Funding approved for federal Hawaiian programs [ARTICLE]

Funding approved for federal Hawaiian programs

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye has announced that a House and Senate conference committee approved significant funding increases for native Hawaiian programs in the fiscal year 1994 Labor, Heallh and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. The appropriations bill now goes to the House and the Senate for final Congressional action. The largest increase in funding is for native Hawaiian education programs. The conferenee committee is recommending funds totaling a little more than S8.2 million. an increase of more than $1.7 million. Inouye says, "We worked diligently to restore funding eliminated by

the administration. to meet the education needs of native Hawaiians. The increased funds

will be utilized to implement the recommendations from the twoday Native Hawaiian Education Summit, held last April in

Honolulu." OHA Education Division staff provided assistance in coordinating this summit, and held eommunity meetings to seek the mana'o of Hawaiians. Inouye added, "Given that the priority recommendation of the summit was the establishment of cultural learning centers. a minimum of $374,000 shall be earmarked for the planning and development of at least two cultural learning eenters." The conference committee also approved $23 million in impact aid for Hawai'i. The money helps offset the cost of educating school chidren whose parents are connected to the federal government in Hawai'i.

"We worked diligently to restore funding eliminated by the administration, to meet the needs of native Hawaiians." Sen. Daniel lnouye

Other appropriations approved by the Senate include: • $4,336,000 for native Hawaiian heahh care and native Hawaiian heahh career scholarships (an increase of $747,000 from fiscal year 1993); • $1,690,000 for nutritional and support services for older native Hawaiians; • $2,468,000 for the Pacific Basic Heahh Initiative program administered by the University of Hawai'i; • $600,000 for public library services to serve native Hawaiian communities; • $2.4 million for vocational education; • $2 million for Chapter 2 school improvement block grant; • $1 million for the OHA Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Program. Under Labor appropriations, $4.2 million will go to fund the JobHelp Store program. a $266,000 increa.se from last year's budget. This program provides job training, bilingual and vocational education and job placement assistance for Samoans, Pacific Islanders and others who have recently immigrated to the islands.