S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4989
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, CUNNINGHAM, STIRPE, SAYEGH, MAGNAR-
   ELLI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental  Oper-
   ations
 
 AN  ACT in relation to establishing a task force to be called the office
   of asylum management; and providing for the repeal of such  provisions
   upon expiration thereof

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Office of asylum management task force. A task force to  be
 named  the  "office of asylum management" shall be established to study,
 evaluate, and develop recommendations  relating  to  the  management  of
 asylum  seekers  in  this  state. For the purposes of this act, the term
 "asylum seeker" shall mean an individual who changes  their  country  of
 usual  residence  to  seek  temporary  or permanent residence in another
 country, and who has applied for asylum under 8 U.S. Code § 1158  or  is
 eligible  to apply; or who is a refugee as defined by section 101(a)(42)
 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
   § 2. Membership of task force. 1.  The  office  of  asylum  management
 shall consist of seventeen members who shall be appointed as follows:
   (a) One member to be appointed by each of the following:
   (i)  The  head  of refugee services within the office of temporary and
 disability assistance;
   (ii) The commissioner of health;
   (iii) The commissioner of labor;
   (iv) The secretary of state;
   (v) The commissioner of children and family services;
   (vi) The commissioner of education;
   (vii) The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services;
   (viii) The commissioner of agriculture and markets;
   (ix) The commissioner of the division of homeland security  and  emer-
 gency services;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09156-01-5
              

 A. 4989                             2
 
   (x) The commissioner of human rights; and
   (xi) The director of the budget; and
   (b) Two members to be appointed by each of the following:
   (i) The speaker of the assembly;
   (ii) The temporary president of the senate; and
   (iii) The governor.
   2.  All  appointments  pursuant to this section shall be made no later
 than the thirtieth day after the effective date of this  act.  Vacancies
 in  the  membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner
 provided for by the original appointments. The task force shall organize
 as soon as practicable following the appointment  of  its  members.  The
 members  of  the  task  force  shall  elect a chairperson from among its
 members to serve as the head of the task force. The members of the  task
 force  shall  receive  no  compensation  for  their  services, but shall
 receive reimbursement for reasonable costs incurred in  the  performance
 of their duties under this act.
   §  3.  Duties  of  task  force.  The office of asylum management shall
 study, evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to  state  manage-
 ment of asylum seekers including, but not limited to, the following:
   (a)  services  that  do  not  exist  or that should be improved in the
 state;
   (b) the regions of the state experiencing, and expected to experience,
 the greatest influx of asylum seekers;
   (c) current state resources that are available;
   (d) the average amount of time asylum  seekers  experience  delays  in
 work authorization;
   (e) work opportunities in the state that are available to asylum seek-
 ers;
   (f)  data collection practices on asylum seekers before they enter the
 state, so the state can be better prepared for such asylum seekers; and
   (g) any other information that the office of asylum  management  shall
 deem important.
   § 4. Powers of task force. The task force shall be entitled to request
 and  receive,  and  shall utilize such facilities, resources and data of
 any court, department, division, board, bureau, commission or agency  of
 the  state  or  any  political  subdivision thereof as it may reasonably
 request to properly carry out its duties under this act.
   § 5. Reporting. The task force shall report its findings and recommen-
 dations to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and  the
 speaker of the assembly on or before the expiration of this act.
   §  6.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed two years after such date.