Hmong National Development, Inc.

Legislative/Issues Updates

CONGRESSIONAL RECESS: AUGUST 11 – SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

Did you know that Congress (the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate) takes a one-month Congressional Recess every year during the month of August? During this recess period in August, each congressional official goes back to their home states and to their district offices. Thus, this is a great time to schedule an in-district meeting with your elected representative and/or call the local district office to see if your elected representative will be holding any upcoming community or town hall meetings. If you’re unsure of whom your elected representative is, visit www.house.gov and www.senate.gov for your legislator contact information. Your elected representative will be headed back to Washington, DC in two weeks, so be sure to schedule your in-district meetings and/or call their local district offices by September 5, 2008. Posted August 25, 2008.

IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER (ILRC) : A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES RESOURCE FOR IMMIGRANT YOUTH

Immigration issues are tricky. There are many ways in which your immigration status – whether you're a green card holder or undocumented – can impact your ability to get a job, go to college, or even remain in the United States. That's why ILRC created this resource especially for immigrant youth. The newly released Spanish version can be downloaded at: http://www.ilrc.org/resources/sijs/Youth_Handbook_Spanish.pdf; the newly released Korean version of the handbook can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.ilrc.org/resources/sijs/Youth_Handbook_Korean.pdf; and the English version can be downloaded at: http://www.ilrc.org/resources/sijs/Youth_Handbook_English.pdf. For more information, contact Angie Junck, Staff Attorney, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, 1663 Mission Street, Suite 602, San Francisco, CA 94103 or via phone at (415) 255-9499 Ext. 586 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . You may also visit the ILRC website at: www.ilrc.org. Posted on August 25, 2008.

EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS : COLLEGE COST REDUCTION AND ACCESS ACT (CCRAA)

The CCRAA places a ceiling on payments for borrowers with high educational loan obligations and enables them to make affordable payments for 10 years while working in public service. After ten years, the government will forgive the remaining obligation. The CCRAA applies to borrowers working in public service jobs in emergency management, government, military service, public safety, law enforcement, public health, public education, social work, legal aid, childcare, public library sciences, or any 501(c)(3) organization. The Equal Justice Works and Golden Gate University School of Law invite you to learn more about the College Cost Reduction and Access Act on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Golden Gate University School of Law, 536 Mission Street, Room 2202, San Francisco, CA. If you work (or plan to work) in public service and have educational debt, don’t miss this presentation! Heather Jarvis from Equal Justice Works will talk about how student loan payments will be affected by the income-based repayment program, how borrowers can qualify for loan forgiveness, and what borrowers need to do to take advantage of the benefits of the new law. A question and answer period will follow. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact: Diane T. Chin, Director, Equal Justice Works/West at (510) 207-8102 or via email at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Other CCRAA information can be found at the following websites/resources: http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resource/ccraa or by going to: http://ibrinfo.org/. Posted August 25, 2008

SOUTHEAST ASIA RESOURCE ACTION CENTER (SEARAC) : DTV TRANSITION

Did you know that by law, most television (TV) stations in this country will change the way they broadcast on February 17, 2009? On this date, most TV stations in the United States will begin to use digital signals. This digital TV transition (DTV transition) will affect an estimated 21 million American households. For more information about this change, please go to the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) website at: http://www.searac.org/dtv2008.html. There are some important information that everyone should know about the DTV transition in order to be prepared. If you have TVs that use cable or satellite service, you will be fine. Also, if all of your TVs are brand new, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you use "rabbit ears" or a rooftop antenna to watch TV, you will be affected. Among the people who will be affected most by the DTV transition are people who have limited incomes and/or speak and read limited English. Many people receive very important news by watching TV. For example, many people learn about weather emergencies by watching their TVs. If you do not have a working TV after the DTV transition, you will lose access to an important source of information that can help keep you safe. Do not worry though! There are easy steps you can take now to make sure that your TVs continue to work after the DTV transition takes place. You do not need to buy a new TV to be ready for the DTV transition. Congress has created a FREE coupon program to help families buy converter boxes that will allow them to get the new digital TV signals on the TVs they already own. Each converter box will cost between $40 and $70, and this FREE coupon program will help people get the converter boxes they need for their TVs. Each household may receive up to two coupons. Each coupon is worth $40. *SUPPLIES OF THE CONVERTER BOX COUPONS ARE LIMITED, SO YOU SHOULD GET YOUR COUPONS RIGHT AWAY! To receive your converter box coupons, you may call at no cost, 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009). Or, you may also go to www.DTV2009.gov. The additional information about the DTV transition on the SEARAC website (http://www.searac.org/dtv2008.html) includes: Informational Flyers about the DTV transition in English, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese; A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document about the DTV transition, including information to help you know if you will be affected by the DTV transition and further explanation about what converter boxes are; A Tool for DTV Community Education; Converter Box Application Coupons in English, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese. SEARAC will continue to share DTV transition updates and information through the SEARAC Listserv. If you have additional questions about the DTV transition or would like us to send you DTV transition materials, please call Naomi Steinberg, SEARAC, at (202) 667-4690 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Posted August 25, 2008.

DTV TRANSITION -- HND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & INFORMATION

On February 17, 2009, by Congressional mandate, all full power American television broadcasters will begin transmitting their signals solely in digital format, effectively ending over-the-air, analog transmission. According to the Leadership Conference Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) , the transition could affect millions of Americans, with non-English speakers, older Americans, people with disabilities, and low income households disproportionately affected by the switch. LCCR data shows that of the 21 million households that rely on over-the-air television who will be directly affected by the transition, one-third are Spanish-language speakers, nearly one-quarter are Black, and nearly 12 percent are Asian. Data collected by the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters show that consumer awareness of the transition has grown 80 percent since 2006 and has more than doubled since 2007. However, HND is concerned that the most affected and most vulnerable communities still remain largely uninformed about the transition. From conversations with community leaders and members, HND was informed that there is minimum awareness of the transition in the Hmong community. This is supported by data released by The Nielsen Company showing that about 12% of Asian households are unready for the transition. Without appropriate outreach and information dissemination to the Hmong community many Hmong families’ television sets will go black come February 2009.

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