Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                    24LSO-0542
                             STATE OF WYOMING
                             HOUSE BILL NO. HB0158
     Refugee resettlement plan accountability.
     Sponsored by:    Representative(s) Locke, Allemand, Bear,
                         Haroldson, Heiner, Jennings, Knapp, Ottman,
                         Pendergraft, Penn, Slagle, Smith, Styvar and Ward and Senator(s) Laursen, D
                                        A BILL
                                         for
 AN     ACT   relating to   the administration of   government;
 requiring legislative approval of           a refugee resettlement
 plan; providing for assignment of a refugee resettlement
 plan to a legislative committee; requiring public hearings;
 requiring reports; and providing for an effective date.
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 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
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        Section 1.    W.S. 9-25-101 is created to read:
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                               CHAPTER 25
                         REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
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                             STATE OF WYOMING                           24LSO-0542
        9-25-101.         Wyoming refugee resettlement plan
 accountability; review; reports.
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        (a)    The Wyoming legislature is hereby declared to be
 the appropriate legislative authority of    the state in
 accordance with       45    C.F.R.        part     400,        with exclusive
 authority to        designate       a state agency to    develop and
 administer, or supervise the administration of, any refugee
 resettlement plan and to designate a state coordinator to
 be responsible for the coordination of public and private
 resources for refugee resettlement.          As used in    this
 section,      "refugee resettlement plan"     means any written
 description of    a refugee or    asylum seeking resettlement
 program or any commitment by the governor or any designee
 of the governor to    administer or        supervise the
 administration of a refugee or asylum seeking resettlement
 program pursuant to the federal Immigration and Nationality
 Act, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1521 through 1524.
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        (b)    Not later than July 1, 2024, the governor or any
 designee of        the governor shall rescind all refugee
 resettlement plans or agreements submitted to the federal
 office of    refugee resettlement within the United States
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                       STATE OF WYOMING                               24LSO-0542
 department of health and human services made before April
 1, 2024. No refugee resettlement plan for refugees to be
 placed in the state of Wyoming shall be effective until the
 refugee resettlement plan is submitted to and approved by
 the legislature as provided under subsections (c) and (d)
 of this section.
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         (c)   The governor or    any designee of    the governor
 shall submit any refugee resettlement plan to    the
 legislature for approval.      Any refugee resettlement plan
 submitted to the legislature shall provide:
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               (i)    A description of how the state intends to
 encourage effective refugee resettlement and to    promote
 economic self-sufficiency of     refugees as     quickly as
 possible;
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               (ii)    A description of how the state will ensure
 that language training and employment services are made
 available to refugees receiving cash assistance;
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               (iii)    A recommendation for the designation of a
 state employee or   official who will be   responsible for
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                      STATE OF WYOMING                       24LSO-0542
 ensuring coordination of public and private resources for
 refugee resettlement;
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               (iv)   For the care and supervision of, and legal
 responsibility for, unaccompanied refugee children in the
 state;
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               (v)    For the identification of refugees who, at
 the time of    resettlement in   the state,    have medical
 conditions requiring, or medical histories showing a need
 for, treatment or observation and for any monitoring of
 treatment or observation as may be necessary;
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               (vi)   A     description of    funds necessary to
 implement the refugee resettlement plan and     a complete
 description of projected federal or private funds available
 to carry out the refugee resettlement plan,       including
 reimbursements, grants and contracts. The description shall
 include a timeline for receipt and expenditure of funds and
 a projection of any state funds necessary to implement the
 refugee resettlement plan after all reimbursements, grants
 and contracts are exhausted.
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                            STATE OF WYOMING                             24LSO-0542
         (d)   Upon receipt of any plan proposed and submitted
 under subsection         (c)     of this section,       the management
 council of     the legislature shall assign the refugee
 resettlement plan to     a joint interim committee of   the
 legislature.         The assigned joint interim committee shall
 review the plan and convene public hearings to   receive
 comments from Wyoming citizens,       local government
 representatives,            volunteer agencies and other parties
 interested in     the plan.        The committee shall report
 recommendations for consideration by the legislature in the
 next legislative session and may develop and introduce
 legislation to     implement or    authorize any refugee
 resettlement plan.
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        Section       2.    This act is     effective immediately upon
 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
 as provided by     Article       4,      Section      8    of the Wyoming
 Constitution.
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                                           (END)
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