WELCOMED Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-5168
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Introduced: 2021-09-03
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Afghanistan

Asia

Immigrant health and welfare

Immigration status and procedures

Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Latest action: action_date: 2022-11-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-09-03
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021 or the WELCOMED Act of 2021</strong></p> <p>This bill makes certain individuals from Afghanistan eligible for any benefit that is available to a refugee, such as resettlement assistance.<br> <br> Specifically, this bill shall apply to a national of Afghanistan (or an individual with no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan) who is temporarily paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit during the four-year period beginning on July 1, 2021.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5168 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 3, 2021 Mr. Moulton (for himself, Mrs. Luria , Mr. Bacon , Ms. Matsui , Mr. Keating , Mr. Malinowski , Ms. Jacobs of California , Mr. Blumenauer , Ms. Norton , Mr. Welch , Mr. Beyer , Mr. Case , Ms. Ross , Ms. Jackson Lee , Mr. Meijer , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , Mr. Auchincloss , Mr. Cooper , Mr. Crow , Mr. Gallego , Ms. Chu , Mr. Jones , Mr. Suozzi , Ms. Tlaib , Mr. Neguse , Ms. Johnson of Texas , Ms. Moore of Wisconsin , Mr. Bera , Mr. Costa , Ms. Jayapal , Ms. Bourdeaux , Mr. Higgins of New York , Ms. Wild , Mr. Cicilline , Ms. Schakowsky , Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida , Mr. Levin of California , and Mr. Johnson of Georgia ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To authorize resettlement benefits for certain nationals of Afghanistan, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021 or the WELCOMED Act of 2021 . 2. Resettlement benefits for certain Afghan nationals (a) Resettlement support authorized Not withstanding any other provision of law, an Afghan entrant is eligible for any form of resettlement assistance, entitlement program, or other benefit (including services for unaccompanied refugee minors) that is available to a refugee (as such term is defined in section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1157 )) under Federal law to the same extent, and for the same period of time as any such assistance, program, or benefit is available to a refugee. (b) Definition In this Act, the term Afghan entrant means a national of Afghanistan (or in the case of an alien having no nationality, a person who last habitually resided in Afghanistan) who was initially paroled into the United States pursuant to section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182 ) during the period beginning on July 1, 2021, and ending on July 1, 2025. (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary.