Bill Summary
The "No Resettlement Without Representation Act" proposes significant amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act concerning the admission and resettlement of refugees in the United States. The key components of the legislation include:
1. **Congressional Control Over Refugee Admission**: The bill mandates that the President must consult with Congress and submit a recommendation for the annual refugee admission cap before each fiscal year begins. Refugees cannot be admitted unless a joint resolution is enacted by Congress that specifies the number of refugees allowed for that year.
2. **State Authority in Refugee Resettlement**: The legislation grants states greater authority regarding refugee resettlement. Specifically, federal agencies must notify state governors at least 30 days prior to resettling refugees in their states. If a state's governor expresses opposition to resettlement, federal authorities cannot proceed with placing refugees in that state.
Overall, the act emphasizes the necessity of congressional involvement and state consent in the refugee admission and resettlement process.
Possible Impacts
The "No Resettlement Without Representation Act" as outlined in the provided legislation could have several potential effects on different groups of people. Here are three examples:
1. **Refugees Seeking Resettlement**: The act would significantly limit the number of refugees that can be admitted to the United States by requiring a joint resolution from Congress to determine the refugee cap for each fiscal year. This could lead to delays or a reduction in the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the U.S., affecting those who are fleeing persecution or conflict and are in desperate need of safety and a new home.
2. **State Governments and Officials**: The legislation grants state governors the authority to reject the resettlement of refugees within their states. This could lead to situations where certain states opt out of resettling refugees altogether, which may create disparities in how different states handle refugee admissions. Governors and state officials would have significant power to influence whether their states accept refugees, which could lead to political tensions and varying public responses based on local sentiments toward immigration.
3. **Federal and State Coordination**: The requirement for the federal government to notify state executives 30 days before resettling refugees may create logistical challenges and potential conflicts between federal and state authorities. States may face pressure from local constituents to either welcome or reject refugees, which could complicate the federal government's resettlement efforts and require careful negotiation and coordination to address local concerns while fulfilling humanitarian obligations at the federal level.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3550 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3550
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to refugee
admission and resettlement.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 21, 2025
Ms. Mace introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to refugee
admission and resettlement.
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 ``No Resettlement Without Representation
Act''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY TO SET REFUGEE CAP.
Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Except'' and
all that follows through the period at the end and
inserting the following: ``Before the beginning of a
fiscal year and after appropriate consultation (as
defined in subsection (e)), the President shall submit
to Congress a recommendation on the number of refugees
who may be admitted under this section in any fiscal
year.'';
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the
following:
``(2) Except as provided in subsection (b), no refugees may be
admitted under this section in a fiscal year until such time as a joint
resolution is enacted which sets the number of refugees who may be
admitted under this section in that fiscal year.''; and
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) by striking ``determination'' and
inserting ``recommendation'';
(ii) by striking ``(beginning with fiscal
year 1992)'' and inserting ``(beginning with
fiscal year 2025)''; and
(iii) by striking ``determined'' and
inserting ``recommended'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``fix'' and inserting ``submit to
Congress a recommendation for'';
(B) by striking ``situation and such'' and
inserting ``situation. Any such'';
(C) by striking ``determination made by the
President'' and insert ``recommendation made by the
President''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following: ``No
refugees may be admitted under this subsection until
such time as a joint resolution is enacted which sets
the number of refugees who may be admitted under this
subsection.'';
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``Subject to the
numerical limitations established pursuant to subsections (a)
and (b),'' and inserting ``Subject to the enactment of a joint
resolution under subsection (a) or (b), and the numerical
limitations established pursuant to such a resolution,''; and
(4) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ``determination''
each place it appears and inserting ``recommendation''.
SEC. 3. STATES AUTHORITY TO REJECT REFUGEES.
Section 412 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Limitation on Resettlement.--(1) Not later than 30 days
before the date on which a refugee is to be resettled in a State, the
Director or Federal agency administering subsection (b)(1) shall submit
to the chief executive of the State in which resettlement is to take
place a notice of the intention to resettle aliens in such State.
``(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the
Director or the Federal agency administering subsection (b)(1) may not
resettle any refugee or coordinate placement of any refugee in a State
if the chief executive of the State communicates to the Director that
the State does not accede to the resettlement or placement of refugees
in that State.''.
<all>