Guam Memorial Hospital and Department of Corrections Receive Compact Impact Aid for FY2016

Interior Provides $7.6M in Support of Guam Governor’s Priorities

10/27/2015
Last edited 11/30/2020
Contact Information

Tanya Harris Joshua 202-208-6008
Tanya_Joshua@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 27, 2015) –  Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina this week announced the release of $7.6 million in grant funding to the Government of Guam through the Office of Insular Affairs’ Compact Impact Assistance Program.  The funding will support, in part, Guam Governor Eddie Calvo’s proposed Compact Impact projects for fiscal year 2016, which total $14.9 million.

“Social services at Guam’s hospital and correctional facilities are heavily impacted by migrants from the Freely Associated States,” said Assistant Secretary Kia’aina. “While we continue to work with the Government of Guam to address long-term solutions requiring federal statutory changes, we are pleased nonetheless to support the Governor's budgetary priorities for this allocation of Compact Impact funding.”

Compact Impact Assistance as awarded to Guam for fiscal year 2016 will support the following:

  • $2,257,437 to Guam Memorial Hospital Authority to provide initial funding for renovation of the Family Birth Center and to help finance a related bank loan.
  • $5,349,234 to the Guam Department of Corrections for installation of an electronic locking system at the Adult Corrections Facility and improvements in medical, dental and mental health care for inmates and detainees.  The funds help Guam meet court ordered obligations in a 20-year-oldold federal civil rights case.  A recent cooperative agreement between the Department of Corrections and the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority provides for the hospital to operate the medical clinic.

Under the Amended Compacts of Free Association, the United States committed $30 million annually to Guam, Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa for assistance in defraying costs due to the residence of qualified nonimmigrants from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau. These costs are incurred as a result of increased demands placed on health, educational, social, or public sector services, or infrastructure related to such services.

The $30 million Compact Impact assistance is distributed annually using a ratio allocation to the government of each affected jurisdiction based on the results of the most recent census enumeration.  The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the enumerations every five years; the most recent enumeration was completed in 2013.

The Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas carries out the administrative responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior in coordinating federal policy for the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and administers and oversees U.S. federal assistance to the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau under the Compacts of Free Association.  The Assistant Secretary executes these responsibilities through the Office of Insular Affairs.

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