[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 102 (Monday, July 11, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER HEALTH DATA 
                              ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2011

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, today I have reintroduced 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 directs the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to develop and implement an ongoing national strategy for 
evaluating the health status and needs of NHOPI populations living in 
the continental U.S., Hawaii, American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam, and the 
Freely Associated States. The Secretary would conduct a health survey 
to determine the major regions in which NHOPI people reside and include 
data helpful in determining the health care needs of the respective 
NHOPI communities. In developing both the national strategy and survey, 
the Secretary would work in consultation with community groups and non-
governmental organizations to develop the best methods and practices. 
Additionally, the legislation would update the work of the 1998 
Institutes of Medicine report: ``Pacific Partnerships for the Health: 
Charting a New Course for the 21st Century.'' The report would include 
the data regarding the status and performance of health care systems in 
the insular areas, and determine the effectiveness of donor aid in 
addressing the insular areas' needs.
  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.
  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 Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are ready to move 
forward with efforts to improve public health in their communities. 
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 to working with my colleagues in addressing this need 
and the larger cause of eliminating health disparities. I would like to 
thank Chairman Daniel Inouye for his leadership introducing companion 
legislation in the Senate. I would also like to thank my fellow 
cosponsors in the House for their support: Congresswoman Judy Chu, 
Congressman Mike Honda, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Mazie 
Hirono, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, Congresswoman Donna 
Christensen, Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, and Congressman Gregorio 
Kilili Camacho Sablan.

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