Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2001

H.R. 562, the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2001, seeks to expand and fund health care services specifically tailored to the Native Hawaiian population. The bill authorizes the federal government to partner with Papa Ola Lokahi, a community-based health organization, to coordinate medical research, data collection, and health systems across all major Hawaiian islands.

For citizens, this legislation would increase access to culturally appropriate wellness programs—including those based on traditional spiritual and land-based practices—and expand scholarship and fellowship opportunities for Native Hawaiian students entering health professions. Additionally, the bill proposes the creation of a bipartisan commission to study and recommend whether these health services should be established as a permanent federal entitlement.