A federal agency has released guidelines to the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services on a food assistance program for Pacific Islander migrants.
The guidance came after the Compact Impact Fairness Act was signed into law this year, allowing Micronesians to access benefits including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, also known as SNAP or food stamps.
Eligible migrants include those from Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. They share treaties with the U.S. called the Compact of Free Association.
COFA citizens were once ineligible for safety net programs due to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.
Scott Morishige, an administrator at DHS, said the department is encouraging COFA migrants to apply for assistance.
“We're getting the word out to our community partner, making sure that information is posted on our website so people know that they can apply.”
According to the new guidance, COFA citizens who were denied benefits after March 9 can reapply or request an appeal to DHS. Morishige said they can also do both.
He said the department is also working on getting the information translated into various Micronesian languages, including Marshallese, Chuukese and Koseraean.
The department serves about 86,000 households annually, which is over 155,000 individuals statewide, according to Morishige.
