[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2783 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2783

To provide resettlement benefits for certain nationals of Afghanistan, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 21, 2021

  Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide resettlement benefits for certain nationals of Afghanistan, 
                        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 ``Welcoming Evacuees Coming from 
Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021'' or the 
``WELCOMED Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. RESETTLEMENT BENEFITS FOR AFGHAN ENTRANTS.

    (a) Definition of Afghan Entrant.--In this Act, the term ``Afghan 
entrant'' means a national of Afghanistan (or in the case of an alien 
having no nationality, a person who last habitually resided in 
Afghanistan) who is paroled into the United States pursuant to section 
212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)) 
during the period beginning on July 1, 2021, and ending on July 1, 
2025.
    (b) Resettlement Support Authorized.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an Afghan entrant shall be eligible for resettlement 
assistance (including services for unaccompanied refugee minors) and 
any other Federal public benefit (as defined in section 401(c) of the 
Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
1611(c))) in the same manner as an alien admitted to the United States 
under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1157).
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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