Bill Text: IA HF2336 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to refugees and refugee resettlement, and providing an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-06 - Introduced, referred to Appropriations. H.J. 200. [HF2336 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-HF2336-Introduced.html
House
File
2336
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2336
BY
DUNWELL
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
refugees
and
refugee
resettlement,
and
1
providing
an
appropriation.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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2336
Section
1.
REFUGEE
ASSISTANCE
——
GRANTS.
1
1.
As
used
in
this
section:
2
a.
“Eligible
agency”
means
an
agency
that
has
contracted
3
with
the
United
States
department
of
state
under
8
U.S.C.
4
§1522(c)
to
provide
initial
resettlement
and
case
management
5
services
to
refugees
or
a
nonprofit
entity
providing
legal
or
6
case
management
services.
7
b.
“Refugee”
means
all
of
the
following:
8
(1)
A
person
paroled
as
a
refugee
or
asylee
under
section
9
212(d)(5)
of
the
federal
Immigration
and
Nationality
Act.
10
(2)
A
person
admitted
as
a
refugee
under
section
207
of
the
11
federal
Immigration
and
Nationality
Act.
12
(3)
A
person
granted
asylum
under
section
208
of
the
13
Immigration
and
Nationality
Act.
14
(4)
Cuban
and
Haitian
entrants,
in
accordance
with
15
requirements
in
45
C.F.R.
pt.
401.
16
(5)
Certain
Amerasians
from
Vietnam
who
are
admitted
to
17
the
United
States
as
immigrants
pursuant
to
section
584
of
18
the
federal
Foreign
Operations,
Export
Financing,
and
Related
19
Programs
Appropriations
Act,
1988,
as
the
definition
is
20
contained
in
section
101(e)
of
Pub.
L.
No.
100-202
and
amended
21
by
the
ninth
proviso
under
Migration
and
Refugee
Assistance
22
in
Tit.
II
of
the
Foreign
Operations,
Export
Financing,
and
23
Related
Programs
Appropriations
Act,
1989,
Pub.
L.
No.
100-461,
24
as
amended.
25
(6)
Certain
alien
immigrants
who
are
victims
of
a
severe
26
form
of
trafficking
who
have
been
certified
by
the
United
27
States
department
of
health
and
human
services
pursuant
to
28
section
107(b)
of
the
federal
Trafficking
Victims
Protection
29
Act
of
2000,
Pub.
L.
No.
106-386,
division
A,
114
Stat.
1464
30
(2000).
31
(7)
Iraqi
and
Afghan
aliens
granted
special
immigrant
32
status
under
section
101(a)(27)
of
the
federal
Immigration
and
33
Nationality
Act.
34
(8)
A
person
admitted
for
permanent
residence,
provided
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the
individual
previously
held
one
of
the
statuses
identified
1
above.
2
2.
The
department
of
health
and
human
services
shall
award
3
grants
to
eligible
agencies
to
provide
the
following
services
4
to
refugees
residing
in
this
state,
for
up
to
twenty-four
5
months:
6
a.
Services
including
but
not
limited
to
all
of
the
7
following
to
assist
refugees
with
department
programs:
8
(1)
Referring
refugees
to
the
department
within
three
days
9
of
the
refugee’s
arrival
in
this
state.
10
(2)
Transporting
refugees
to
initial
appointments
with
the
11
department.
12
(3)
Providing
to
the
department
all
necessary
eligibility
13
information
known
to
the
eligible
agency.
14
(4)
Coordinating
services
of
the
department
with
other
15
social
services
agencies.
16
b.
Services
including
but
not
limited
to
all
of
the
17
following
to
assist
refugees:
18
(1)
Navigating
the
health
care
and
mental
health
systems,
19
including
providing
assistance
in
applying
for
medical
20
assistance.
21
(2)
Accessing
housing
assistance
and
finding
stable
22
housing.
23
(3)
Setting
up
utilities
and
paying
utility
bills.
24
(4)
Advising
on
issues
with
landlords.
25
(5)
Navigating
legal
or
criminal
issues
including
services
26
for
victims
of
crime.
27
(6)
Accessing
in-home
services
including
parenting
28
assistance,
English
as
a
second
language
instruction,
and
29
medical
and
psychosocial
support.
30
(7)
Navigating
the
culture
of
the
United
States.
31
c.
Providing
transportation
to
appointments.
32
d.
Advocating
on
behalf
of
refugees
regarding
domestic
33
violence,
federal
laws,
and
hate
crimes.
34
e.
Providing
refugees
with
interpretation
services
and
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assistance
with
access
to
language
services.
1
f.
Providing
referrals
for
refugees
to
culturally
specific
2
support
groups
and
services,
including
religious
organizations.
3
g.
Identifying
the
employment
skills
of
refugees
and
4
providing
referrals
to
employment
skills
training
and
other
job
5
support
services.
6
h.
Coordinating
medical
services
for
refugees
including
7
referring
to
and
coordinating
with
agencies
that
determine
8
eligibility
for
disability
benefits.
9
i.
Providing
family
preservation
services,
legal
services,
10
and
social
services
support
for
domestic
violence
and
child
11
welfare
issues.
12
j.
Assisting
newly
arrived
refugee
children
in
accessing
13
services
to
strengthen
the
children’s
academic
performance
and
14
successful
integration
into
the
community.
15
k.
Providing
extended
case
management
services
for
16
twenty-four
months
for
newly
and
recently
arrived
refugees.
17
l.
Other
services
necessary
to
assist
refugees
in
accessing
18
programs
administered
by
the
department
and
attaining
success
19
as
full
participants
in
the
community.
20
Sec.
2.
REFUGEE
RESETTLEMENT
SERVICES
——
GRANTS
——
21
APPROPRIATION.
In
addition
to
and
not
in
lieu
of
any
other
22
appropriation,
there
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
23
the
state
to
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
for
24
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2024,
and
ending
June
30,
25
2025,
the
following
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
26
to
be
used
for
the
purposes
designated:
27
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
10,000,000
28
1.
Of
the
funds
appropriated
in
this
section,
$420,000
29
shall
be
used
by
the
department
to
administer
a
grant
program
30
to
provide
access
to
international
resources
to
Iowans
and
31
new
Iowans
to
provide
economic
and
leadership
development
32
resulting
in
Iowa
being
a
more
inclusive
and
welcoming
place
33
to
live,
work,
and
raise
a
family.
The
program
shall
provide
34
supplemental
support
services
for
international
refugees
to
35
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2336
improve
learning,
English
literacy,
life
skills,
cultural
1
competencies,
and
integration
in
a
county
with
a
population
2
over
450,000
as
determined
by
the
2020
federal
decennial
3
census.
The
department
shall
utilize
a
request
for
proposals
4
process
to
identify
the
entity
best
qualified
to
implement
the
5
program.
6
2.
Of
the
funds
appropriated
in
this
section,
$400,000
7
shall
be
used
for
the
Iowa
commission
on
volunteer
service
8
and
the
RefugeeRISE
AmeriCorps
program
for
member
recruitment
9
and
training
to
improve
the
economic
well-being
and
health
of
10
economically
disadvantaged
refugees
in
local
communities
across
11
Iowa.
12
3.
Up
to
$400,000
shall
be
used
for
child
care
business
13
development
by
establishing
new
child
care
locations
in
Iowa
14
as
well
as
providing
technical
assistance
through
expansion
15
of
refugee
child
care
business
development
programs
based
on
16
those
offered
in
Polk
and
Linn
counties
that
sustain
and
grow
17
child
care
entrepreneurship
and
address
child
care
shortages
18
in
refugee
communities.
19
4.
Of
the
funds
appropriated
in
this
section,
after
20
allocation
of
the
funds
under
subsections
1,
2,
and
3,
the
21
remaining
funds
shall
be
used
by
the
department
to
fund
grants
22
to
supplement
the
funding
received
by
eligible
agencies
from
23
the
United
States
department
of
state
under
8
U.S.C.
§1522
to
24
provide
services
as
described
in
section
1
of
this
Act.
25
EXPLANATION
26
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
27
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
28
This
bill
relates
to
refugees
and
refugee
resettlement,
and
29
provides
an
appropriation.
30
The
bill
provides
definitions
for
“eligible
agency”
and
31
“refugee”
for
purposes
of
the
bill.
32
The
bill
requires
the
department
of
health
and
human
33
services
(HHS)
to
award
grants
to
eligible
agencies
to
provide
34
a
number
of
services
to
refugees
residing
in
the
state,
for
35
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2336
up
to
24
months,
including
services
that
assist
refugees
with
1
department
programs
as
well
as
other
services.
2
The
bill
appropriates
$10
million,
in
addition
to
and
not
3
in
lieu
of
any
other
appropriation,
from
the
general
fund
of
4
the
state
to
HHS
for
FY
2024-2025
to
provide
refugee
support
5
services
for
refugees
residing
in
this
state.
6
Of
the
funds
appropriated,
$420,000
shall
be
used
by
HHS
to
7
administer
a
grant
program
to
provide
access
to
international
8
resources
to
Iowans
and
new
Iowans
to
provide
economic
and
9
leadership
development
resulting
in
Iowa
being
a
more
inclusive
10
and
welcoming
place
to
live,
work,
and
raise
a
family.
The
11
department
shall
use
a
request
for
proposals
process
to
select
12
the
best
qualified
entity
to
administer
the
program
in
a
county
13
with
a
population
over
450,000.
14
Of
the
funds
appropriated,
$400,000
shall
be
used
for
15
the
Iowa
commission
on
volunteer
service
and
the
RefugeeRISE
16
AmeriCorps
program
for
member
recruitment
and
training
to
17
improve
the
economic
well-being
and
health
of
economically
18
disadvantaged
refugees
in
local
communities
across
Iowa.
19
Of
the
funds
appropriated,
up
to
$400,000
shall
be
used
to
20
develop
new
child
care
locations
as
well
as
provide
technical
21
assistance
through
expansion
of
refugee
child
care
business
22
development
programs.
23
Of
the
funds
appropriated,
the
remaining
funds
shall
be
used
24
to
fund
grants
to
supplement
the
funding
received
by
eligible
25
agencies
to
provide
services
as
described
in
the
bill.
26
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