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President Barack Obama will have to come up with an action plan to address the economic impact of Pacific migration in Hawaii and other states and U.S. territories.
The requirement is part of an appropriations bill approved by Congress. Within 45 days the president must convene a committee to develop the action plan.
Under the federal Compact of Free Association, the United States provides economic assistance to the Pacific islands, and migrants from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau can come to the U.S. and its territories and are eligible for certain programs. The U.S., in return, has military access to the Pacific islands. The U.S. previously conducted Cold War-era weapons testing in the region.
Hawaii has estimated that the cost of providing education, health care and other services to Pacific migrants was $115 million in 2010, up from $32 million in 2002. Members of the state’s congressional delegation have sought help from the federal government to cover migration costs.