S-4466.1
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6245
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senate Human Services (originally sponsored by Senators Hasegawa,
Nguyen, Nobles, Saldaña, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez, and C. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 01/31/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to assistance for refugees and immigrants; and
2 adding a new chapter to Title 74 RCW.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The purpose of this chapter is to
5 establish the scope of refugee and immigrant assistance administered
6 by the office of refugee and immigrant assistance within the
7 department.
8 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The definitions in this section apply
9 throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires
10 otherwise.
11 (1) "Department" means the department of social and health
12 services.
13 (2) "Federal act" means Title IV of the federal immigration and
14 nationality act, 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1521 et seq. as amended, including any
15 federal rules adopted pursuant to the federal act.
16 (3) "Immigrant" means a person who has arrived in the United
17 States and the state of Washington from another country seeking
18 residence who is not a naturalized citizen.
19 (4) "Refugee" means a person admitted into the United States
20 under section 207 of the immigration and nationality act and others
p. 1 SSB 6245
 1 who are eligible for federal refugee resettlement services under the
2 federal act.
3 (5) "State plan" means the Washington state plan for refugee
4 resettlement described in section 4 of this act.
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The department shall coordinate statewide
6 to support the economic and social integration of immigrants and
7 refugees arriving and resettling in Washington. The department shall
8 coordinate with local, state, and federal government agencies and
9 other stakeholders.
10 NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department is designated as the lead
11 state agency responsible for the development, review, and
12 administration of the Washington state plan for refugee resettlement.
13 The department shall submit the state plan to and seek approval from
14 the federal office of refugee resettlement within the federal
15 department of health and human services according to the federal act.
16 NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) The department shall provide refugee
17 cash assistance, refugee medical assistance, and refugee support
18 services in accordance with the federal act and the state plan.
19 (2) The refugee support services described in this section may
20 include:
21 (a) Employment services;
22 (b) English language instruction;
23 (c) Case management; and
24 (d) Other services or assistance consistent with the federal act.
25 NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The department may administer services
26 to immigrants who are ineligible for federal services described in
27 section 5 of this act.
28 (2) The department may contract with external entities, including
29 community-based organizations, to provide the services authorized
30 under this section.
31 NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The department may adopt rules in order to
32 achieve the purposes of this chapter.
p. 2 SSB 6245
1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 7 of this act
2 constitute a new chapter in Title 74 RCW.
--- END ---
p. 3 SSB 6245