I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2839 

To reform and modernize domestic refugee resettlement programs, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2015 

Mr. PASCRELL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To reform and modernize domestic refugee resettlement 

programs, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. DOMESTIC REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT REFORM 

4 AND MODERNIZATION. 

5 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

6 (1) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION.—The 

7 term ‘‘community-based organization’’ means a non8 profit organization providing a variety of social, 

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1 ulation that includes refugees resettled into the 

2 United States. 

3 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

4 the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement 

5 in the Department of Health and Human Services. 

6 (3) NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES.— 

7 The term ‘‘national resettlement agencies’’ means 

8 voluntary agencies contracting with the Department 

9 of State to provide sponsorship and initial resettle10 ment services to refugees entering the United States. 

11 (b) ASSESSMENT OF REFUGEE DOMESTIC RESET12 TLEMENT PROGRAMS.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp15 troller General of the United States shall conduct a 

16 study regarding the effectiveness of the domestic ref17 ugee resettlement programs operated by the Office 

18 of Refugee Resettlement. 

19 (2) MATTERS TO BE STUDIED.—In the study 

20 required under paragraph (1), the Comptroller Gen21 eral shall determine and analyze— 

22 (A) how the Office of Refugee Resettle23 ment defines self-sufficiency and integration 

24 and if these definitions adequately represent 

25 refugees’ needs in the United States; 


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1 (B) the effectiveness of Office of Refugee 

2 Resettlement programs in helping refugees to 

3 meet self-sufficiency and integration; 

4 (C) technological solutions for consistently 

5 tracking secondary migration, including oppor6 tunities for interagency data sharing; 

7 (D) the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s 

8 budgetary resources and project the amount of 

9 additional resources needed to fully address the 

10 unmet needs of refugees with regard to self-suf11 ficiency and integration; 

12 (E) the role of community-based organiza13 tions in serving refugees in areas experiencing 

14 a high number of new refugee arrivals; 

15 (F) how community-based organizations 

16 can be better utilized and supported in the Fed17 eral domestic resettlement process; 

18 (G) recertification processes for high19 skilled refugees, specifically considering how to 

20 decrease barriers for Special Immigrant Visa 

21 holders to use their skills; and 

22 (H) recommended statutory changes to im23 prove the Office of Refugee Resettlement and 

24 the domestic refugee program in relation to the 


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1 matters analyzed under subparagraphs (A) 

2 through (G). 

3 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 

5 General shall submit to Congress the results of the 

6 study required under this subsection. 

7 (c) REFUGEE ASSISTANCE.— 

8 (1) ASSISTANCE MADE AVAILABLE TO SEC9 ONDARY MIGRANTS.—Section 412(a)(1) of the Im10 migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(1)) 

11 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(C) The Director shall ensure that assistance under 

13 this section is provided to refugees who are secondary mi14 grants and meet all other eligibility requirements for such 

15 assistance.’’. 

16 (2) REPORT ON SECONDARY MIGRATION.—Sec17 tion 412(a)(3) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(3)) is 

18 amended— 

19 (A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(3)’’; 

20 (B) by striking ‘‘periodic’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘annual’’; and 

22 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(B) At the end of each fiscal year, the Director shall 

24 submit a report to Congress that includes— 


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1 ‘‘(i) States experiencing departures and arrivals 

2 due to secondary migration; 

3 ‘‘(ii) likely reasons for migration; 

4 ‘‘(iii) the impact of secondary migration on 

5 States hosting secondary migrants; 

6 ‘‘(iv) the availability of social services for sec7 ondary migrants in those States; and 

8 ‘‘(v) unmet needs of those secondary mi9 grants.’’. 

10 (3) AMENDMENTS TO SOCIAL SERVICES FUND11 ING.—Section 412(c)(1)(B) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 

12 1522(c)(1)(B)) is amended— 

13 (A) by inserting ‘‘a combination of—’’ 

14 after ‘‘based on’’; 

15 (B) by striking ‘‘the total number’’ and in16 serting the following: 

17 ‘‘(i) the total number’’; and 

18 (C) by striking the period at the end and 

19 inserting the following: 

20 ‘‘(ii) the total number of all other eligible popu21 lations served by the Office during the period de22 scribed who are residing in the State as of the be23 ginning of the fiscal year; and 


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1 ‘‘(iii) projections on the number and nature of 

2 incoming refugees and other populations served by 

3 the Office during the subsequent fiscal year.’’. 

4 (4) NOTICE AND RULEMAKING.—Not later than 

5 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 

6 and not later than 30 days before the effective date 

7 set forth in paragraph (5), the Director shall— 

8 (A) issue a proposed rule for a new for9 mula by which grants and contracts are to be 

10 allocated pursuant to the amendments made by 

11 paragraph (3); and 

12 (B) solicit public comment regarding such 

13 proposed rule. 

14 (5) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

15 by this subsection shall become effective on the first 

16 day of the first fiscal year that begins after the date 

17 of the enactment of this Act. 

18 (d) RESETTLEMENT DATA.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall expand 

20 the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s data analysis, 

21 collection, and sharing activities in accordance with 

22 the requirements set forth in paragraphs (2) 

23 through (5). 

24 (2) DATA ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL MEDICAL

25 CASES.—The Director shall— 


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1 (A) coordinate with the Centers for Dis2 ease Control and Prevention, national resettle3 ment agencies, community-based organizations, 

4 and State refugee health programs to track na5 tional and State trends on refugees arriving 

6 with Class A medical conditions and other ur7 gent medical needs; 

8 (B) examine the information sharing proc9 ess, from country of arrival through refugee re10 settlement, to determine if access to additional 

11 mental health data could— 

12 (i) help determine placements; and 

13 (ii) enable agencies to better prepare 

14 to meet refugee mental health needs; and 

15 (C) in collecting information under this 

16 paragraph, utilize initial refugee health screen17 ing data, including— 

18 (i) a history of severe trauma, torture, 

19 mental health symptoms, depression, anx20 iety, and posttraumatic stress disorder re21 corded during domestic and international 

22 health screenings; and 

23 (ii) Refugee Medical Assistance utili24 zation rate data. 


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1 (3) DATA ON HOUSING NEEDS.—The Director 

2 shall partner with State refugee programs, commu3 nity-based organizations, and national resettlement 

4 agencies to collect data relating to the housing needs 

5 of refugees, including— 

6 (A) the number of refugees who have be7 come homeless; and 

8 (B) the number of refugees who are at se9 vere risk of becoming homeless. 

10 (4) DATA ON REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT AND

11 SELF-SUFFICIENCY.—The Director shall gather lon12 gitudinal information relating to refugee self-suffi13 ciency, integration, and employment status during 

14 the 2-year period beginning 1 year after the date on 

15 which the refugees arrived in the United States. 

16 (5) AVAILABILITY OF DATA.—The Director 

17 shall annually— 

18 (A) update the data collected under this 

19 subsection; and 

20 (B) submit a report to Congress that con21 tains the updated data. 

22 (e) GUIDANCE REGARDING REFUGEE PLACEMENT

23 DECISIONS.— 

24 (1) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of State 

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1 cies and State refugee coordinators on consultation 

2 with local stakeholders pertaining to refugee resettle3 ment. 

4 (2) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary of Health 

5 and Human Services, in collaboration with the Sec6 retary of State, shall collect best practices related to 

7 the implementation of the guidance on stakeholder 

8 consultation on refugee resettlement from voluntary 

9 agencies and State refugee coordinators and dissemi10 nate such best practices to such agencies and coordi11 nators. 

12 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section (except for the 

13 amendments made by subsection (c)) shall take effect on 

14 the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment 

15 of this Act. 

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