[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5791 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5791
To establish the position of Special Envoy for Refugees in the
Department of State, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 6, 2020
Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the position of Special Envoy for Refugees in the
Department of State, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Special Envoy for Refugees Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 2019, the world is in the midst of the worst global
displacement crisis in history, with more than 70,800,000
forcibly displaced persons, including 25,900,000 refugees
worldwide, over half of whom are children, according to
estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees.
(2) In 2018, less than 5 percent of global resettlement
needs were met despite there being 1,400,000 refugees in need
of third-country resettlement.
(3) The United States refugee admissions program is a life-
saving solution that--
(A) is critical to global humanitarian efforts;
(B) strengthens global security;
(C) leverages United States foreign policy
interests, including diplomatic and strategic interests
of supporting allies who often host a significant and
disproportionate share of refugees per capita;
(D) stabilizes sensitive regions impacted by forced
migration by ensuring that the United States shares
responsibility for global refugee protection;
(E) leverages refugee resettlement in the United
States to encourage other countries to uphold the human
rights of refugees, including by ensuring that
refugees--
(i) have the right to work, the right to an
education, and freedom of movement; and
(ii) are not returned to a place in which
their life or freedom is at risk;
(F) serves individuals and families in need of
resettlement;
(G) provides economic and cultural benefits to
cities, States, and the United States as a whole; and
(H) aligns with the international obligations of
the United States, including under--
(i) the Convention Relating to the Status
of Refugees, done at Geneva July 28, 1951 (as
made applicable by the Protocol Relating to the
Status of Refugees, done at New York January
31, 1967 (19 U.S.T. 6223)), of which the United
States is a party;
(ii) the Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, done at New York December 10, 1984,
of which the United States is a party;
(iii) the Convention relating to the Status
of Stateless Persons, done at New York
September 28, 1954; and
(iv) the Convention on the Reduction of
Statelessness, done at New York August 30,
1961.
(4) The United States has historically been, and should
continue to be, a global leader in--
(A) responding to displacement crises around the
world, including through the provision of robust
humanitarian support;
(B) promoting the safety, health, and well-being of
refugees and displaced persons;
(C) welcoming asylum seekers who seek safety and
protecting other at-risk migrants, including survivors
of torture, victims of trafficking, and stateless
people; and
(D) working alongside other countries to strengthen
protection systems and support.
(5) The United States has steadily reduced--
(A) access to asylum protection through
administrative policy and programmatic changes,
including policies and operational decisions aimed at
reducing or stopping the ability of asylum seekers to
access the United States border; and
(B) the resettlement of refugees, by way of two
consecutive historically low annual refugee admissions
goals after nearly 45 years during which the average
annual United States refugee admissions goal was over
95,000 individuals.
(6) Refugees are--
(A) the most vetted travelers to enter the United
States; and
(B) subject to extensive screening checks,
including in-person interviews, biometric data checks,
and multiple interagency checks.
(7) The people of the United States, and communities across
the United States, overwhelmingly support refugees and asylum
seekers, including people of faith, members of the Armed
Forces, veterans, elected officials, and retired high-ranking
officials. As a beacon of safe refuge and pluralistic society,
the United States should commit itself to addressing the plight
of refugees internationally.
(8) For the sake of refugees, asylum seekers, other
migrants, United States national diplomatic and strategic
interests, and local communities that benefit from the presence
of refugees, asylees, and other migrants, it is crucial for a
dedicated official within the United States Government to
coordinate and promote United States initiatives to protect
refugees and asylum seekers.
SEC. 3. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR REFUGEES.
(a) In General.--The President shall appoint a Special Envoy for
Refugees within the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of
the Department of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the
``Special Envoy'') who shall report directly to the Secretary of State
and shall have the rank of ambassador. The Special Envoy shall be an
individual of distinction with recognized expertise relating to
migration, refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and
stateless individuals.
(b) Duties and Responsibilities.--The Special Envoy shall--
(1) directly advise the Secretaries of State, Homeland
Security, and Health and Human Services regarding the United
States position relating to migration, refugees, asylum-
seekers, and internally displaced and stateless individuals;
(2) represent the United States in diplomatic matters
relevant to the global displacement, migration, refugees,
asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and stateless
individuals;
(3) lead interagency coordination to oversee evidence-based
research related to the global refugee crisis and the United
States refugee program, including research on--
(A) the most effective ways to form and implement
policy to promote refugee resettlement in the United
States;
(B) durable solutions for globally displaced
individuals abroad; and
(C) the economic and social impact of resettlement
of refugees and asylum seekers to the United States;
(4) ensure that information disseminated by Federal
agencies and United States Government partners with regard to
refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and
stateless individuals is evidence based;
(5) conduct regular consultation with nongovernmental and
international organizations, including the United Nation High
Commissioner for Refugees, to promote best practices for
resettlement and durable solutions for refugees, asylum-
seekers, and internally displaced and stateless individuals;
(6) lead interagency coordination to assess and develop
United States Government policies in response to the impact of
climate change on global displacement, including the effects of
climate change on the forcible movement of people, the creation
of new refugees and other climate displaced people; and
(7) lead interagency and international coordination to
identify and promote the United States foreign policy responses
to issues that lead to global displacement and the creation of
new refugees, including global threats to civil rights, women's
rights, religious freedom, and violent conflicts.
(c) Staff.--The Special Envoy is authorized to hire such personnel
as may be necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the
Special Envoy, including, at a minimum, a chief of staff, a deputy
chief of staff, and an advisor.
(d) Consultation.--The Special Envoy shall work with the
Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to ensure that appropriate
consultation with Congress occurs in a timely and thorough manner
consistent with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1157).
(e) Reports and Briefings.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Special
Envoy--
(A) shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on activities undertaken in the
preceding 12 months under subsection (b);
(B) shall brief the appropriate congressional
committees on trends leading to global displacement,
and new refugees and asylum seekers;
(C) should submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the outcomes of the consultation
with Congress undertaken in the preceding 12 months as
described in subsection (d); and
(D) shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees an assessment of human and financial
resources necessary to fulfill the purposes and duties
of this Act.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Judiciary
of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committees on Foreign Relations and the
Judiciary of the Senate.
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