CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2368
Chapter 153, Laws of 2024
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
OFFICE OF REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT ASSISTANCE
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024
Passed by the House February 13, 2024 CERTIFICATE
Yeas 61 Nays 35
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
LAURIE JINKINS State of Washington, do hereby
Speaker of the House of certify that the attached is
Representatives SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2368 as
passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
Passed by the Senate February 28,
2024
Yeas 29 Nays 20 BERNARD DEAN
Chief Clerk
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Approved March 18, 2024 3:20 PM FILED
March 19, 2024
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2368
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By House Human Services, Youth, & Early Learning (originally
sponsored by Representatives Gregerson, Eslick, Thai, Low, Senn,
Leavitt, Davis, Farivar, Nance, Reed, Doglio, Ramel, Simmons, Ormsby,
Street, Goodman, Timmons, Pollet, and Santos)
READ FIRST TIME 01/31/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to assisting refugees and immigrants by
2 describing the role of the office of refugee and immigrant assistance
3 within the department of social and health services in administering
4 federal funding regarding refugee support services and authorizing
5 the office of refugee and immigrant assistance within the department
6 of social and health services to administer services to immigrants;
7 and adding a new chapter to Title 74 RCW.
8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
9 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The purpose of this chapter is to
10 establish the scope of refugee and immigrant assistance administered
11 by the office of refugee and immigrant assistance within the
12 department.
13 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The definitions in this section apply
14 throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires
15 otherwise.
16 (1) "Department" means the department of social and health
17 services.
18 (2) "Federal act" means Title IV of the federal immigration and
19 nationality act, 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1521 et seq. as amended, including any
20 federal rules adopted pursuant to the federal act.
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1 (3) "Immigrant" means a person who has arrived in the United
2 States and the state of Washington from another country seeking
3 residence who is not a naturalized citizen.
4 (4) "Refugee" means a person admitted into the United States
5 under section 207 of the immigration and nationality act and others
6 who are eligible for federal refugee resettlement services under the
7 federal act.
8 (5) "State plan" means the Washington state plan for refugee
9 resettlement described in section 4 of this act.
10 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The department shall coordinate statewide
11 efforts to support the economic and social integration and basic
12 needs of immigrants and refugees arriving and resettling in
13 Washington. The department shall coordinate with local, state, and
14 federal government agencies and other stakeholders.
15 NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department is designated as the lead
16 state agency responsible for the development, review, and
17 administration of the Washington state plan for refugee resettlement.
18 The department shall submit the state plan to and seek approval from
19 the federal office of refugee resettlement within the federal
20 department of health and human services according to the federal act.
21 NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) The department shall provide refugee
22 cash assistance, refugee medical assistance, and refugee support
23 services in accordance with the federal act and the state plan.
24 (2) The refugee support services described in this section may
25 include:
26 (a) Employment services;
27 (b) English language instruction;
28 (c) Case management; and
29 (d) Other services or assistance consistent with the federal act.
30 NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The department may administer services
31 to immigrants who are ineligible for federal services described in
32 section 5 of this act.
33 (2) The department may contract with external entities, including
34 community-based organizations, to provide the services authorized
35 under this section. In contracting with community-based
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1 organizations, the department must engage communities impacted to
2 determine an equitable funding distribution and contracting process.
3 NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The department may adopt rules in order to
4 achieve the purposes of this chapter.
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 7 of this act
6 constitute a new chapter in Title 74 RCW.
Passed by the House February 13, 2024.
Passed by the Senate February 28, 2024.
Approved by the Governor March 18, 2024.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 19, 2024.
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