[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AMENDING THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A HEALTH SURVEY 
         REGARDING NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I introduced legislation to amend 
the Public Health Service Act for the purposes of providing the 
resources necessary for the Department of Health and Human Services to 
survey the health of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 
(NHOPI). Specifically, the bill I have introduced today would amend 
Part B of Title III of the Public Health Service Act to authorize the 
award of a contract or grant by the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services for the express purpose of developing a health survey 
targeting Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders residing in the 
United States and the Freely Associated States in the Pacific Region.
  In 1997, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised federal 
data collection standards to recognize the significant demographic, 
historical, cultural, and ethnic differences that exist between Native 
Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans. These 
important distinctions are not simply cultural or historical, but also 
encompass unique health and socio-economic challenges among the 
different populations. The standard requires that Native Hawaiian and 
other Pacific Islander data be collected, disaggregated and reported 
separately from Asian American data by all federal agencies no later 
than January 1, 2003.
  As of 2007, however, not all federal agencies are in full compliance 
with OMB Revised Directive 15. In the places where limited agency data 
do exist, they are not made publicly available or it takes years to 
release. On a national level, the sample size of the NHOPI population 
in studies and reports is not represented because of a lack of data--
resulting in meaningful information and statistics being unavailable to 
health organizations, federal, state, territorial and local agencies 
and policymakers.
  Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities are eager to 
move forward with their efforts to improve public health. This 
scientific survey would establish baseline health information to inform 
health policy and interventions so that individual and community health 
can be properly tracked and evaluated. Additionally, it would provide 
critical information for both NHOPI communities' health care providers 
and organizations that work with these communities to develop 
appropriate health care strategies for public health education and 
resources.
  I look forward on working with my colleagues in addressing this need 
and advancing the larger cause of eliminating health disparities.

                          ____________________