NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2516

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 21, 2025	referred to social services

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2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2374
Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §358, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S7430, A9520
2023-2024: S6070, A69

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of social services to establish a refugee resettlement program with the goals of achieving economic and social self-sufficiency, assisting victims of human trafficking, and assuring proper foster care for unaccompanied refugees.

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2516

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to a refugee
resettlement program

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To enshrine and protect New York State's current refugee resettlement
program

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 states legislative intent.

Section 2 amends subdivision 3 of section 358 of Social Services Law to
codify the refugee resettlement services provided by Bureau of Refugee
Services within the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

Section 3 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

According to the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and
Humanitarian Aid Operations, nearly 108.4 million people were forcibly
displaced from their homes by the end of 2022 due to conflict, violence,
human rights violations, persecution, disasters, and climate change. The
majority of this population, some 62.5 million people, were internally
displaced. Five point four million of the remaining population became
asylees, relocating to another country to seek asylum within its
borders. The remainder, approximately 35.3 million people, became global
refugees, relocating to another country to then apply for protected
entry into a third country with refugee status. Some 52% of all refugees
hail from three countries, Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, and up to
76% of refugees are hosted by low-income countries while they apply for
official entry into more developed ones like the United States. Two-
thirds of refugees live in poverty, and refugee displacement lasts an
average of 20 years.

The United States' official channel for accepting refugees is its United
States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), a vast multiagency effort
that involves pre-clearances and screenings, placement allocations in
specific cities for 30 - 90 days, and then more permanent relocation
elsewhere. It is a dizzying process that involves multiple security
checkpoints, an alphabet soup of state and federal agencies, and at
least two complete relocations - yet an opportunity millions wait a
lifetime to seize, if it means that they may have a chance at a more
peaceful and prosperous life.  USRAP is made possible by its partner-
ships with resettlement agencies in states like New York, which assists
refugees through the Bureau of Refugee Services (BRS) housed within the
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). Yet despite BRS's
enormous success helping orient hundreds of thousands of new New York
families, this program is under threat of future administrations which
can untie our state's commitment to USRAP with the stroke of a pen.

This is precisely what happened in 2019, when then-President Trump
issued Executive Order (EO) 13888 which required states and localities
to provide affirmative written consent that they would continue to
accept refugees through USRAP while setting a record-low cap on refugee
admissions of 15,000. This had a dramatic effect on refugee intake
levels for years afterward: in fiscal year 2016, the US accepted about
85,000 refugees. By fiscal year 2021, this number had shrunk to 6,300.
EO 13888 remained in place until it was overruled by the US District
Court of Maryland in January 2020 (Hias, Mott. Donald Trump, 2020) and
then officially revoked by President Biden's EO 14013 of 2021, which
declared that "(d)elays in administering USRAP and other humanitarian
programs are counter to our national interests, can raise grave humani-
tarian concerns, and should be minimized."

In the wake of EO 13888 of 2019 and other related immigration actions,
several states took the step of enshrining their commitment to USRAP by
codifying their refugee resettlement programs into state law. This bill
aims to do the same for New York, codifying many of the existing func-
tions performed by OTDA's BRS and partner agencies, which help displaced
individuals achieve economic and social self-sufficiency, assist victims
of human trafficking, and assure proper foster care for unaccompanied
refugee and entrant minors. BRS programs, which run the gamut from
mentoring and educational services to employment training to English
language instruction to comprehensive case management and more, have
helped countless refugees put down roots in our state, fueling New
York's economy while creating new cultural and linguistic hubs. Codify-
ing these services into law will help ensure that their survival is not
subject to the whims of any future federal or state administration that
fails to properly recognize New York's current and historic role as a
beacon of hope for those unable to return home. This bill will help
ensure that OTDA's Bureau of Refugee Services continues to orient reset-
tled refugees for generations to come.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S6070A - Referred to Social Services

2023: S6070 - Referred to Investigations and Government Operations

2022: S7430- Referred to Rules

2021: S7430- Referred to Rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2516
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GOUNARDES, COMRIE, FERNANDEZ, JACKSON, MYRIE -- read
   twice  and  ordered  printed,  and when printed to be committed to the
   Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social  services  law,  in  relation  to  a  refugee
   resettlement program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative findings.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
 declares the following:
   a.  Under  federal  law 8 U.S.C. §1101 (a) (42), a refugee is a person
 who is forced to flee their country of origin or last habitation due  to
 persecution,  or  a  well-founded  fear of persecution, based upon their
 race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or
 political opinion;
   b. At the end of 2022, there were  108.4  million  forcibly  displaced
 people  in  the world, 35.3 million of which were refugees. This is more
 than double the recorded number in 2010, and the  highest  it  has  ever
 been;
   c.  Around two-thirds of refugees live in poverty, and many are unable
 to return to their home countries due to the lack of imminent  solutions
 to conflicts, recurrent violence, and political instability;
   d.  Less  than  1 percent of refugees will ever be resettled to a safe
 third country, enabling them  to  rebuild  their  lives  in  safety  and
 contribute to the cultural and economic fabric of a new home nation;
   e.  Recognizing  the  importance  of  refugee resettlement, the United
 States created the Refugee Act of 1980;
   f. Since 1980, the United States Refugee  Admissions  Program  (USRAP)
 has  saved more than 3.7 million refugees, and resettled them across the
 country;
   g. As of 2021, New York State resettled the third most refugees in the
 country;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02698-01-5

 S. 2516                             2
 
   h. On September 19, 2016, the United  Nations General  Assembly  unan-
 imously  adopted  the  New  York  Declaration for Refugees and Migrants,
 which reaffirms the importance of the international refugee  regime  and
 contains  a  wide  range  of commitments to strengthen and enhance mech-
 anisms to protect these individuals;
   i.  Research from reputable sources including the Fiscal Policy Insti-
 tute, Urban Institute, Pew Research Center,  and  New  American  Economy
 find  a  positive economic and social impact of refugees across New York
 State;
   j. Governor Kathy Hochul reaffirmed New  York  State's  commitment  to
 helping refugees on August 19, 2021 by welcoming those fleeing Afghanis-
 tan;
   k. The Statue of Liberty, a national monument and icon of freedom that
 has  been  welcoming  immigrants from across the world to New York State
 since 1886, states, "Give me your tired, your poor,  your huddled masses
 yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse  of  your  teeming  shore.
 Send  these,  the  homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside
 the golden door!";
   l. The State of New York has been proud to  partner  with  the  United
 States  Citizenship and Immigration Services in assisting and resettling
 refugees from USRAP through its Bureau of  Refugee  Services,  which  is
 housed within the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance;
   m.  The  legislature  hereby  affirms,  with  this  act, its continued
 commitment to resettle refugees through the United States Refugee Admis-
 sions Program within the boundaries of this state for as long  as  indi-
 viduals around the world are displaced from their home countries.
   §  2.    Subdivision  3  of section 358 of the social services law, as
 amended by section 39 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of  1997,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   3.  (A)  If  and  for  so  long as the federal government provides one
 hundred percent funding therefor, the department is authorized to  oper-
 ate  a  Cuban  and  Haitian  entrant program [and a refugee resettlement
 program pursuant to title IV of the federal immigration and  nationality
 act,  including  provision  for refugee cash assistance, refugee medical
 assistance, refugee child welfare services, and refugee social services.
 The department shall submit  the  plan  for  such  refugee  resettlement
 program to the federal department of health and human services and shall
 act  for  the  state  in any negotiations relative to the submission and
 approval of such plan and make any arrangement which may be necessary to
 obtain and retain such approval].
   (B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM,  TO
 BE  ADMINISTERED  BY  THE  BUREAU  OF REFUGEE SERVICES HOUSED WITHIN THE
 DEPARTMENT. THE DEPARTMENT  MAY  CONTRACT  WITH  PUBLIC  AND/OR  PRIVATE
 NONPROFIT AGENCIES AS PROVIDED IN 8 U.S.C. § 1522(E) IN ORDER TO PROVIDE
 THE  SERVICES  TO REFUGEES DESCRIBED IN THIS SUBDIVISION. THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL SUBMIT THE PLAN FOR  SUCH  REFUGEE  RESETTLEMENT  PROGRAM  TO  THE
 FEDERAL  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND SHALL ACT FOR THE
 STATE IN ANY NEGOTIATIONS RELATIVE TO THE  SUBMISSION  AND  APPROVAL  OF
 SUCH  PLAN AND MAKE ANY ARRANGEMENT WHICH MAY BE NECESSARY TO OBTAIN AND
 RETAIN SUCH APPROVAL. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS
 PARAGRAPH SHALL NOT BE CONTINGENT UPON ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FEDERAL FUND-
 ING  AS  DESCRIBED  IN  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF THIS SUBDIVISION. THE REFUGEE
 RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM DESCRIBED IN THIS SUBDIVISION MAY  BE  FUNDED  FROM
 THE  FEDERAL AND/OR STATE GOVERNMENT OR GOVERNMENTS, OR POLITICAL SUBDI-
 VISIONS THEREOF.
 S. 2516                             3
 
   (C) THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED IN PARAGRAPH  (B)  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL HAVE THE CORE MISSION OF DIRECTING RESOURCES TO
 LOCAL PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT ASSIST REFUGEES IN:
   (I) ACHIEVING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY;
   (II) ASSISTING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND
   (III)  ASSURING  PROPER  FOSTER  CARE  FOR  UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEES AND
 ENTRANT MINORS.
   (D) SUCH REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY  THE  DEPARTMENT
 SHALL  PARTNER  WITH PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENTITIES WHICH ASSIST REFUGEES IN
 THE PROVISION OR PROMOTION OF: CIVIC AND  SOCIAL  ENGAGEMENT;  MENTORING
 SERVICES FOR YOUTH; COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT; FOOD, CLOTHING, SHEL-
 TER,  SCHOOL  SUPPLIES,  OR  OTHER  BASIC NEEDS; EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
 SERVICES; ENGLISH LANGUAGE  INSTRUCTION;  COMMUNITY  SCHOOL  ACTIVITIES;
 TEMPORARY  CASH  AND  MEDICAL  ASSISTANCE;  PROGRAMS  TO INCREASE HEALTH
 LITERACY; PROGRAMS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO PUBLIC  AND/OR  PRIVATE  HEALTH
 INSURANCE;   INITIAL  MEDICAL  SCREENINGS  AND  IMMUNIZATIONS;  PROGRAMS
 DESIGNED TO EASE THE TRANSITION OF  SCHOOL-AGED  REFUGEE  CHILDREN  INTO
 ELEMENTARY,  MIDDLE,  AND  HIGH SCHOOLS; SUPPORT SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF
 HUMAN TRAFFICKING; SOCIAL AND  SUPPORTIVE  SERVICES  FOR  REFUGEES  AGED
 SIXTY  OR  OLDER; FOSTER CARE PROGRAMS FOR UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE MINORS;
 AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS CREATED TO MEET OTHER NEEDS OF  REFU-
 GEES AS SUCH NEEDS ARISE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S2516

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S2516

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Sponsored By

Andrew Gounardes

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

co-Sponsors

Leroy Comrie

Patricia Fahy

Nathalia Fernandez

Robert Jackson

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments