Title: Special Envoy for Refugees Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Special Envoy for Refugees Act
This bill requires the President to appoint a Special Envoy for Refugees whose duties shall include (1) representing the United States in diplomacy related to global displacement, migration, refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and stateless individuals; and (2) leading interagency coordination to oversee research related to the global refugee crisis and the U.S. refugee program.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5791 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5791

    To establish the position of Special Envoy for Refugees in the 
              Department of State, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2020

  Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the position of Special Envoy for Refugees in the 
              Department of State, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Special Envoy for Refugees Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 2019, the world is in the midst of the worst global 
        displacement crisis in history, with more than 70,800,000 
        forcibly displaced persons, including 25,900,000 refugees 
        worldwide, over half of whom are children, according to 
        estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for 
        Refugees.
            (2) In 2018, less than 5 percent of global resettlement 
        needs were met despite there being 1,400,000 refugees in need 
        of third-country resettlement.
            (3) The United States refugee admissions program is a life-
        saving solution that--
                    (A) is critical to global humanitarian efforts;
                    (B) strengthens global security;
                    (C) leverages United States foreign policy 
                interests, including diplomatic and strategic interests 
                of supporting allies who often host a significant and 
                disproportionate share of refugees per capita;
                    (D) stabilizes sensitive regions impacted by forced 
                migration by ensuring that the United States shares 
                responsibility for global refugee protection;
                    (E) leverages refugee resettlement in the United 
                States to encourage other countries to uphold the human 
                rights of refugees, including by ensuring that 
                refugees--
                            (i) have the right to work, the right to an 
                        education, and freedom of movement; and
                            (ii) are not returned to a place in which 
                        their life or freedom is at risk;
                    (F) serves individuals and families in need of 
                resettlement;
                    (G) provides economic and cultural benefits to 
                cities, States, and the United States as a whole; and
                    (H) aligns with the international obligations of 
                the United States, including under--
                            (i) the Convention Relating to the Status 
                        of Refugees, done at Geneva July 28, 1951 (as 
                        made applicable by the Protocol Relating to the 
                        Status of Refugees, done at New York January 
                        31, 1967 (19 U.S.T. 6223)), of which the United 
                        States is a party;
                            (ii) the Convention against Torture and 
                        Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 
                        Punishment, done at New York December 10, 1984, 
                        of which the United States is a party;
                            (iii) the Convention relating to the Status 
                        of Stateless Persons, done at New York 
                        September 28, 1954; and
                            (iv) the Convention on the Reduction of 
                        Statelessness, done at New York August 30, 
                        1961.
            (4) The United States has historically been, and should 
        continue to be, a global leader in--
                    (A) responding to displacement crises around the 
                world, including through the provision of robust 
                humanitarian support;
                    (B) promoting the safety, health, and well-being of 
                refugees and displaced persons;
                    (C) welcoming asylum seekers who seek safety and 
                protecting other at-risk migrants, including survivors 
                of torture, victims of trafficking, and stateless 
                people; and
                    (D) working alongside other countries to strengthen 
                protection systems and support.
            (5) The United States has steadily reduced--
                    (A) access to asylum protection through 
                administrative policy and programmatic changes, 
                including policies and operational decisions aimed at 
                reducing or stopping the ability of asylum seekers to 
                access the United States border; and
                    (B) the resettlement of refugees, by way of two 
                consecutive historically low annual refugee admissions 
                goals after nearly 45 years during which the average 
                annual United States refugee admissions goal was over 
                95,000 individuals.
            (6) Refugees are--
                    (A) the most vetted travelers to enter the United 
                States; and
                    (B) subject to extensive screening checks, 
                including in-person interviews, biometric data checks, 
                and multiple interagency checks.
            (7) The people of the United States, and communities across 
        the United States, overwhelmingly support refugees and asylum 
        seekers, including people of faith, members of the Armed 
        Forces, veterans, elected officials, and retired high-ranking 
        officials. As a beacon of safe refuge and pluralistic society, 
        the United States should commit itself to addressing the plight 
        of refugees internationally.
            (8) For the sake of refugees, asylum seekers, other 
        migrants, United States national diplomatic and strategic 
        interests, and local communities that benefit from the presence 
        of refugees, asylees, and other migrants, it is crucial for a 
        dedicated official within the United States Government to 
        coordinate and promote United States initiatives to protect 
        refugees and asylum seekers.

SEC. 3. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR REFUGEES.

    (a) In General.--The President shall appoint a Special Envoy for 
Refugees within the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of 
the Department of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the 
``Special Envoy'') who shall report directly to the Secretary of State 
and shall have the rank of ambassador. The Special Envoy shall be an 
individual of distinction with recognized expertise relating to 
migration, refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and 
stateless individuals.
    (b) Duties and Responsibilities.--The Special Envoy shall--
            (1) directly advise the Secretaries of State, Homeland 
        Security, and Health and Human Services regarding the United 
        States position relating to migration, refugees, asylum-
        seekers, and internally displaced and stateless individuals;
            (2) represent the United States in diplomatic matters 
        relevant to the global displacement, migration, refugees, 
        asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and stateless 
        individuals;
            (3) lead interagency coordination to oversee evidence-based 
        research related to the global refugee crisis and the United 
        States refugee program, including research on--
                    (A) the most effective ways to form and implement 
                policy to promote refugee resettlement in the United 
                States;
                    (B) durable solutions for globally displaced 
                individuals abroad; and
                    (C) the economic and social impact of resettlement 
                of refugees and asylum seekers to the United States;
            (4) ensure that information disseminated by Federal 
        agencies and United States Government partners with regard to 
        refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and 
        stateless individuals is evidence based;
            (5) conduct regular consultation with nongovernmental and 
        international organizations, including the United Nation High 
        Commissioner for Refugees, to promote best practices for 
        resettlement and durable solutions for refugees, asylum-
        seekers, and internally displaced and stateless individuals;
            (6) lead interagency coordination to assess and develop 
        United States Government policies in response to the impact of 
        climate change on global displacement, including the effects of 
        climate change on the forcible movement of people, the creation 
        of new refugees and other climate displaced people; and
            (7) lead interagency and international coordination to 
        identify and promote the United States foreign policy responses 
        to issues that lead to global displacement and the creation of 
        new refugees, including global threats to civil rights, women's 
        rights, religious freedom, and violent conflicts.
    (c) Staff.--The Special Envoy is authorized to hire such personnel 
as may be necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the 
Special Envoy, including, at a minimum, a chief of staff, a deputy 
chief of staff, and an advisor.
    (d) Consultation.--The Special Envoy shall work with the 
Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to ensure that appropriate 
consultation with Congress occurs in a timely and thorough manner 
consistent with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1157).
    (e) Reports and Briefings.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Special 
        Envoy--
                    (A) shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
                committees a report on activities undertaken in the 
                preceding 12 months under subsection (b);
                    (B) shall brief the appropriate congressional 
                committees on trends leading to global displacement, 
                and new refugees and asylum seekers;
                    (C) should submit to the appropriate congressional 
                committees a report on the outcomes of the consultation 
                with Congress undertaken in the preceding 12 months as 
                described in subsection (d); and
                    (D) shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
                committees an assessment of human and financial 
                resources necessary to fulfill the purposes and duties 
                of this Act.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Judiciary 
                of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committees on Foreign Relations and the 
                Judiciary of the Senate.
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