HJR 13-AFGHANS, SP. IMMIGRANT VISAS, ASSISTANCE  4:03:54 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13(MLV) Urging the President of the United States to expand evacuation efforts for applicants with approved Special Immigrant Visas, including resumption of evacuation flights organized by the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts; urging the United States Department of State to secure legal protections and humanitarian assistance for Special Immigrant Visa applicants; urging the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in the United States Department of Homeland Security to expedite the review of applications for Special Immigrant Visas; and requesting that the United States Secretary of State provide a report to Congress regarding efforts to reinstate evacuation flights for applicants with approved Special Immigrant Visas. 4:04:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE WILL STAPP, District 32, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of HJR 13 summarized the sponsor statement as follows: [Original punctuation provided.] Sponsor Statement for HJR 13 (34-LS0710\G) After the September 11, 2001 attacks on our nation, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) on October 7, 2001. The primary purpose of the mission was to address the issue of Al-Qaeda influence in Afghanistan. During OEF, Afghani nationals assisted our US servicemembers as translators and interpreters throughout their mission. The acts of these Afghani nationals provided necessary communication and understanding of cultural norms. In 2006, the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was established as part of the Afghan Allies Protection Act and was expanded in 2008 to include Iraqi nationals who assisted in the same capacity in Iraq under Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). This program allowed those who assisted us to apply and gain permanent US residency. Since the botched evacuation of US forces in Afghanistan in 2021, processing and approval of these SIV's and the subsequent evacuation of these Afghani nationals and their families have been delayed or stalled. HJR 13 aims to rectify this by respectfully urging the President of the United States to order the US Secretary of State to resume, expand, and expedite the processing of these SIV applications and the evacuations of these individuals and their families. These Afghani citizens risked their lives and the lives of their families under Taliban rule to assist our service members during Operation Enduring Freedom, on the promise that their service could be repaid with a chance at permanent US residency. We must honor our promises as a nation and do our best to assist these allies. 4:06:43 PM HENRY THOMPSON, Staff, Representative Will Stapp, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided more details on HJR 13 and explained that there are three related programs: one created in 2006 for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters, another in 2008 for Iraqis who assisted the U.S., and a 2009 program for Afghans. He said the Afghan program is the largest, with 143,000 visas granted to principals and their families, though only 50,000 principal visas were authorized. He noted significant delays in processing and relocating applicants to the United States. 4:08:04 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI asked whether processing delays vary by country or are specific to the Afghan Allied Protection Act. 4:08:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE STAPP replied that he couldn't confirm specific processing times but emphasized that Special Immigrant Visa applicants undergo thorough State Department vetting and must prove their service with U.S. forces. He added that many friends are currently trying to help their interpreters immigrate under the program. 4:09:23 PM SENATOR YUNDT asked where communication or coordination had broken down in the program, since it worked well previously. 4:09:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE STAPP answered that the program faltered after the rapid collapse of the Afghan government. Unlike Iraq, where a phased withdrawal maintained U.S. presence, Afghanistan's sudden fall left little time to evacuate eligible individuals. He said bureaucratic processes couldn't adjust quickly, and the Taliban's return to power further complicated efforts. However, some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) continue working to help evacuate and resettle those individuals in the United States. 4:10:46 PM SENATOR YUNDT noted that many civilians who worked with the U.S. destroyed their documents for safety when the Afghan government collapsed and asked how those individuals can immigrate without proof of service. 4:11:16 PM REPRESENTATIVE STAPP replied that some interpreters sent photos before destroying their documents and noted that many records still exist on the U.S. side, though they can be difficult to locate. He agreed that the loss of documents hinders efforts to expedite evacuations. 4:11:59 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on HJR 13; finding none, he closed public testimony. 4:12:16 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI held HJR 13 in committee.