The bill also directs Interior to work with the Freely Associated States to develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate the costs of Compact migration.
This plan seeks to better educate migrants and potential migrants that the primary purpose of the Compact migration benefit is to provide educational and employment opportunities to FAS citizens, not for migrants to develop an over-reliance on public services, according to Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo’s office.
The plan would seek to improve FAS capacity to provide dialysis and other medical services to avoid the need for FAS citizens to seek treatment in Guam or other jurisdictions. It would also improve screening procedures to identify and restrict migration of individuals who have communicable diseases or who have been convicted of serious crimes.
These provisions were originally recommended to Interior in a March 2011 letter led by Sens. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. Bordallo cosigned the letter expressing her support for the renewed focus on Compact-Impact issues.
“The Compact provisions contained in this appropriations bill will, over time, help ease the financial burden placed on the government of Guam, and other affected jurisdictions, moving forward,” said Bordallo.
“Chairman Inouye has been a strong supporter of improving existing law to assist local governments affected by the Compacts, and I thank him for his leadership in including these provisions in this year’s Consolidated Appropriations Act. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and all stakeholders to ensure that we meet the U.S. obligations under the Compacts while addressing the burden on our local governments,” she added.
