CSHB 188(STA): "An Act establishing the welcoming Alaska office; establishing the welcoming Alaska center; establishing the Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee; relating to the state's refugee services program; repealing the office of citizenship assistance; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 188(STA) 01 "An Act establishing the welcoming Alaska office; establishing the welcoming Alaska 02 center; establishing the Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee; relating to the state's 03 refugee services program; repealing the office of citizenship assistance; and providing 04 for an effective date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 23.05 is amended by adding new sections to read: 07 Sec. 23.05.131. Welcoming Alaska office. (a) The welcoming Alaska office is 08 established in the department to promote full participation of immigrants, refugees, 09 and other newcomers as self-sufficient individuals and families in the economic, 10 social, and civic life of the state, and to advance the state's workforce security. Under 11 the supervision of the executive director, the office shall 12 (1) provide to immigrants, refugees, and newcomers employment 13 information, referrals to employment services, including job placement services, and 14 information about how to access labor unions, administrative agencies, and court
01 actions to pursue claims or charges of job discrimination, illegal termination of 02 employment, sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions; 03 (2) serve as the state's coordinating entity among stakeholders, 04 including state agencies and local governments, to align strategies to reduce licensing 05 and other barriers that hinder immigrants, refugees, and newcomers from gaining 06 employment or starting a business; 07 (3) use the education and experience of immigrants, refugees, and 08 newcomers to benefit the economy of the state; 09 (4) contract with other state agencies to develop and administer 10 programs or services that promote entrance into and mobility within the workforce for 11 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 12 (5) consult with stakeholders, including state agencies and local 13 governments, to develop and implement a statewide strategy to support businesses in 14 recruiting and retaining workers who are immigrants, refugees, and newcomers and to 15 support immigrants, refugees, and newcomers in starting and scaling new businesses; 16 (6) advise the commissioner on 17 (A) improving employment opportunities for immigrants, 18 refugees, and newcomers; 19 (B) preventing employment discrimination against immigrants, 20 refugees, and newcomers; 21 (C) cooperating with state and federal agencies to accomplish 22 the office's mission; 23 (D) supporting the economic and social integration of 24 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; and 25 (E) reducing the exploitation of immigrants, refugees, and 26 newcomers; 27 (7) subject to appropriation, offer grants to support the economic and 28 social integration of immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 29 (8) serve as a convener for community-based organizations serving 30 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 31 (9) design and implement strategies and programs to make the state a
01 more welcoming place for immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 02 (10) serve as a point of contact for all state agencies regarding issues 03 affecting immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 04 (11) subject to appropriation, establish the welcoming Alaska center 05 under AS 25.05.134 and operate a toll-free multilingual hotline for referral of services; 06 (12) coordinate with departments and nonprofit organizations to assist 07 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers in improving quality-of-life issues, including 08 access to business opportunities, education, employment, housing, health care, and 09 other services; 10 (13) subject to appropriation, assist political subdivisions with fees and 11 other costs associated with visa applications, recruitment, and housing support for 12 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 13 (14) research and analyze economic and demographic trends to better 14 serve immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 15 (15) coordinate and establish best practices for language access 16 initiatives for all state agencies; 17 (16) serve as an information clearinghouse on information regarding 18 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 19 (17) coordinate refugee programs, including education, training, 20 employment, housing, and medical support and other services, for refugees who no 21 longer receive federal assistance; and 22 (18) make policy recommendations to the governor and the legislature 23 on issues affecting immigrants, refugees, and newcomers. 24 (b) The office may contract with other organizations as appropriate to further 25 the goals of the office. 26 (c) The commissioner shall appoint an individual to serve as the executive 27 director of the office. The executive director is in the partially exempt service under 28 AS 39.25 (State Personnel Act). 29 (d) The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement this 30 section. 31 Sec. 23.05.132. Welcoming Alaska liaison. (a) Each principal department in
01 the executive branch shall designate one staff member to serve as a liaison between 02 the department and the office. 03 (b) A liaison shall 04 (1) disseminate information about services offered by the department 05 that are available to immigrants, refugees, and newcomers, department staff, the 06 office, and the public; 07 (2) communicate with the office on issues affecting immigrants, 08 refugees, and newcomers; 09 (3) when applicable, coordinate between the office, the liaison's 10 department, and professional boards within the liaison's department to assist the office 11 with license applications from immigrants, refugees, and newcomers. 12 Sec. 23.05.133. Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee. (a) The 13 Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee is established in the department and shall be 14 staffed and administered by the office. The advisory committee consists of the 15 following 13 members: 16 (1) one nonvoting member who is a member of the house of 17 representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 18 (2) one nonvoting member who is a member of the senate appointed by 19 the president of the senate; 20 (3) 11 voting members appointed by the governor as follows: 21 (A) a representative from a nonprofit organization that provides 22 employment or language services to immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 23 (B) a representative from a tribal nonprofit organization; 24 (C) a representative from the Alaska Council of School 25 Administrators; 26 (D) a representative from the business and economic 27 development community; 28 (E) a representative from a nonprofit legal services agency that 29 provides services to immigrants and refugees; 30 (F) a representative of a refugee resettlement agency operating 31 in the state;
01 (G) a representative of a refugee-led or immigrant-service 02 community-based organization; 03 (H) a representative with expertise in workforce development 04 or labor market analysis; 05 (I) a representative from the health care delivery sector; 06 (J) a representative from the criminal justice system; 07 (K) a member of the public. 08 (b) The committee shall 09 (1) assist the office with developing recommendations for policies, 10 procedures, regulations, and legislation to help ensure state government and state 11 programs are accessible and responsive to the needs of immigrants, refugees, and 12 newcomers; 13 (2) work with the office to monitor the work of state agencies to 14 include and retain immigrants, refugees, and newcomers in state programs; 15 (3) conduct public meetings, as requested by the governor or the 16 office, for the public to comment and make suggestions on attracting to and retaining 17 in the state immigrants, refugees, and newcomers and improving the employment 18 opportunities, inclusion in civic matters, and community connections of immigrants, 19 refugees, and newcomers; 20 (4) conduct studies, on request of the governor or the office, on issues 21 affecting immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 22 (5) advise the office on ways to increase outreach to immigrants, 23 refugees, and newcomers; and 24 (6) review budget requests of the office and recommend to the 25 commissioner amounts for appropriations to the office. 26 (c) A voting member of the committee appointed by the governor serves at the 27 pleasure of the governor for staggered terms of four years until reappointed or 28 replaced. If a vacancy occurs among the voting members, the governor shall appoint a 29 member for the unexpired portion of the term. 30 (d) Voting members of the committee shall elect a member to serve as chair. 31 (e) A majority of the committee constitutes a quorum.
01 (f) The committee shall meet at least twice a year. A meeting may be held at 02 the call of the chair, by request of a majority of the committee, or at the request of the 03 executive director of the office. 04 (g) A member of the committee receives no salary but is entitled to per diem 05 and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 06 Sec. 23.05.134. Welcoming Alaska center. (a) Subject to appropriation, the 07 office shall establish a welcoming Alaska center in one or more communities to 08 provide virtual and in-person information and assistance for immigrants, refugees, and 09 newcomers. The office shall prioritize establishing a welcoming Alaska center in an 10 existing state office facility or on a University of Alaska campus that is easily 11 accessible and conveniently located. 12 (b) A welcoming Alaska center shall provide or coordinate the following 13 services for immigrants, refugees, and newcomers: 14 (1) language instruction; 15 (2) employment services and training; and 16 (3) assistance with access to government programs and community 17 services. 18 Sec. 23.05.135. Definitions. In AS 23.05.131 - 23.05.135, 19 (1) "immigrant" has the meaning given in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15) 20 (Immigration and Nationality Act); 21 (2) "newcomer" means a person who moved to the state from another 22 state in the preceding 36 months; 23 (3) "office" means the welcoming Alaska office established under 24 AS 23.05.131; 25 (4) "refugee" has the meaning given in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42) 26 (Immigration and Nationality Act) and includes individuals eligible for services under 27 8 U.S.C. 1521 - 1524 (Refugee Act of 1980) or any successor federal program. 28 * Sec. 2. AS 23.05.131(a), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, is amended to read: 29 (a) The welcoming Alaska office is established in the department to promote 30 full participation of immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers as self-sufficient 31 individuals and families in the economic, social, and civic life of the state, and to
01 advance the state's workforce security. Under the supervision of the executive director, 02 the office shall 03 (1) provide to immigrants, refugees, and newcomers employment 04 information, referrals to employment services, including job placement services, and 05 information about how to access labor unions, administrative agencies, and court 06 actions to pursue claims or charges of job discrimination, illegal termination of 07 employment, sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions; 08 (2) serve as the state's coordinating entity among stakeholders, 09 including state agencies and local governments, to align strategies to reduce licensing 10 and other barriers that hinder immigrants, refugees, and newcomers from gaining 11 employment or starting a business; 12 (3) use the education and experience of immigrants, refugees, and 13 newcomers to benefit the economy of the state; 14 (4) contract with other state agencies to develop and administer 15 programs or services that promote entrance into and mobility within the workforce for 16 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 17 (5) consult with stakeholders, including state agencies and local 18 governments, to develop and implement a statewide strategy to support businesses in 19 recruiting and retaining workers who are immigrants, refugees, and newcomers and to 20 support immigrants, refugees, and newcomers in starting and scaling new businesses; 21 (6) advise the commissioner on 22 (A) improving employment opportunities for immigrants, 23 refugees, and newcomers; 24 (B) preventing employment discrimination against immigrants, 25 refugees, and newcomers; 26 (C) cooperating with state and federal agencies to accomplish 27 the office's mission; 28 (D) supporting the economic and social integration of 29 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; and 30 (E) reducing the exploitation of immigrants, refugees, and 31 newcomers;
01 (7) subject to appropriation, offer grants to support the economic and 02 social integration of immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 03 (8) serve as a convener for community-based organizations serving 04 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 05 (9) design and implement strategies and programs to make the state a 06 more welcoming place for immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 07 (10) serve as a point of contact for all state agencies regarding issues 08 affecting immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 09 (11) subject to appropriation, establish the welcoming Alaska center 10 under AS 25.05.134 and operate a toll-free multilingual hotline for referral of services; 11 (12) coordinate with departments and nonprofit organizations to assist 12 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers in improving quality-of-life issues, including 13 access to business opportunities, education, employment, housing, health care, and 14 other services; 15 (13) subject to appropriation, assist political subdivisions with fees and 16 other costs associated with visa applications, recruitment, and housing support for 17 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 18 (14) research and analyze economic and demographic trends to better 19 serve immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 20 (15) coordinate and establish best practices for language access 21 initiatives for all state agencies; 22 (16) serve as an information clearinghouse on information regarding 23 immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; 24 (17) coordinate refugee programs, including education, training, 25 employment, housing, and medical support and other services, for refugees who no 26 longer receive federal assistance; [AND] 27 (18) make policy recommendations to the governor and the legislature 28 on issues affecting immigrants, refugees, and newcomers; and 29 (19) serve as the entity responsible for administering the state's 30 refugee services program under 8 U.S.C. 1521 - 1524 (Refugee Act of 1980) and 31 assume responsibilities previously carried out by the state's designee, including
01 (A) providing or coordinating refugee resettlement, 02 integration, and workforce participation services to support long-term 03 economic self-sufficiency; 04 (B) operating or overseeing refugee support services, 05 including refugee cash and medical assistance as authorized; and 06 (C) collaborating with refugee resettlement agencies, 07 community partners, and refugee-led organizations. 08 * Sec. 3. AS 23.05.131, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, is amended by adding new subsections 09 to read: 10 (e) The office shall employ an individual to serve as the state refugee 11 coordinator for the state's refugee services program under 8 U.S.C. 1521 - 1524 12 (Refugee Act of 1980). 13 (f) The commissioner of health shall designate an employee in the Department 14 of Health to serve as the coordinator of refugee health services under the state's 15 refugee services program. The coordinator of refugee health services shall work with 16 public health agencies to coordinate the refugee health program in accordance with 17 requirements and guidance from the federal office responsible for refugee resettlement 18 programs. 19 * Sec. 4. AS 39.25.120(c) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 20 (22) the executive director of the welcoming Alaska office. 21 * Sec. 5. AS 23.05.125 is repealed. 22 * Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 23 read: 24 STUDY; REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. The welcoming Alaska office 25 established under AS 23.05.131 shall conduct a study to determine immigration opportunities 26 in the state, establish goals for the welcoming Alaska office, and develop performance 27 indicators to measure progress for the welcoming Alaska office. The study must include input 28 from employers in the state. The welcoming Alaska office shall prepare a report explaining 29 the findings from the study and submit the report by July 1, 2027, to the senate secretary and 30 the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is 31 available.
01 * Sec. 7. Sections 2 and 3 of this Act take effect July 1, 2027. 02 * Sec. 8. Except as provided in sec. 7 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2026.