2015-2016 Bill 3980: Department of Social Services - South Carolina Legislature Online

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 121st Session, 2015-2016 3 4 H. 3980 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 House Resolution 9 Sponsors: Reps. Hicks, Chumley, Burns, Allison, Forrester, Brannon, Cole and Tallon 10 Document Path: l:\council\bills\bh\26283vr15.docx 11 12 Introduced in the House on April 16, 2015 13 Adopted by the House on April 29, 2015 14 15 Summary: Department of Social Services 16 17 18 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 19 20 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 21 4/16/2015 House Introduced ( House Journalpage 5) 22 4/16/2015 House Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions (House 23 Journalpage 5) 24 4/28/2015 House Committee report: Favorable Invitations and Memorial Resolutions (House 25 Journalpage 135) 26 4/29/2015 House Adopted ( House Journalpage 131) 27 28 View the latest legislative information at the website 29 30 31 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 32 33 4/16/2015 34 4/28/2015 35 1 COMMITTEE REPORT 2 April 28, 2015 3 4 H. 3980 5 6 Introduced by Reps. Hicks, Chumley, Burns, Allison, Forrester, 7 Brannon, Cole and Tallon 8 9 S. Printed 4/28/15--H. 10 Read the first time April 16, 2015. 11 12 13 THE COMMITTEE ON 14 INVITATIONS AND MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS 15 To whom was referred a House Resolution (H. 3980) 16 memorializing the South Carolina Department of Social Services 17 to provide information regarding the resettlement of refugees in 18 Spartanburg, South Carolina to ensure, etc., respectfully 19 REPORT: 20 That they have duly and carefully considered the same and 21 recommend that the same do pass: 22 23 JIMMY C. BALES for Committee. 24

[3980-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A HOUSE RESOLUTION 10 11 MEMORIALIZING THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT 12 OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION 13 REGARDING THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES IN 14 SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA TO ENSURE 15 ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE 16 EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND OTHER COSTS OF 17 PROVIDING GOVERNMENT SERVICES. 18 19 Whereas, it has been reported that World Relief, an international 20 relief organization, has opened an office in Spartanburg, South 21 Carolina; and 22 23 Whereas, according to the organization’s website, World Relief 24 coordinates with the United States Department of Health and 25 Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement to offer 26 resettlement, placement, and various services to refugees settling 27 in communities, in partnership with local faith communities; and 28 29 Whereas, according to a local news article, HHS is required to 30 fund these services, but the services are administered by the state’s 31 Department of Social Services (DSS); and 32 33 Whereas, according to news reports, World Relief’s Spartanburg 34 office anticipates that dozens of refugees will move to the area 35 during 2015, some of whom already may have arrived; and 36 37 Whereas, it is unknown from which countries these refugees 38 resettling in Spartanburg come; and 39 40 Whereas, services provided to these refugees will have a financial 41 impact on the Spartanburg and surrounding communities, 42 including added costs and expenses for operation of public

[3980] 3 1 schools, health services, law enforcement, local transportation, and 2 other taxpayerfunded services; and 3 4 Whereas, Spartanburg’s and South Carolina’s financial resources 5 are limited. Now, therefore, 6 7 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives: 8 9 That the members of the House of Representatives of the State of 10 South Carolina memorialize the South Carolina Department of 11 Social Services to provide the following information: 12 13 How many refugees are expected to be resettled through 14 World Relief in Spartanburg and in the State as a whole? 15 16 How many of these refugees will live in Spartanburg? 17 18 Are resettled refugees generally, and those resettled in 19 Spartanburg through World Relief or other sponsors 20 specifically, required to remain in the local community or 21 the state into which they are initially resettled? 22 23 If refugees are not required to remain in the community or 24 state into which they are initially resettled, are those 25 refugees resettling in Spartanburg through World Relief 26 being encouraged to remain in the local community or the 27 State and, if so, how are they being encouraged to remain? 28 29 Does World Relief or HHS’s Office of Refugee 30 Resettlement (ORR) contract with DSS to provide services 31 to the refugees resettled in Spartanburg through World 32 Relief? If so, in what amounts, for what purposes, and for 33 how long are these contracts? 34 35 Has HHS already provided funds to DSS to provide 36 services to these refugees? If so, what amount of funding 37 has been provided to DSS and how has DSS used, or how 38 does DSS plan to use, the funding? 39 40 Does World Relief, ORR, or DSS contract with other 41 public or private agencies or faith communities in the State 42 to provide services to the refugees resettled in Spartanburg

[3980] 4 1 through World Relief, and, if so, in what amounts, for 2 what purposes, and for how long are these contracts? 3 4 Is there a limit or quota on the number of refugees 5 admitted into the United States for resettlement, and are 6 the refugees that are resettling in Spartanburg through 7 World Relief accounted for in that limit or quota? 8 9 Which services are refugees who resettle in Spartanburg, 10 and elsewhere in South Carolina, entitled to access, and 11 are these services and benefits funded by, or in partnership 12 with, the State, the federal government, or both? 13 14 Are the refugees resettling in Spartanburg through World 15 Relief eligible for subsidized housing, and are they 16 allowed to utilize public jobassistance or training services? 17 If so, what state, federal, or other agency pays for those 18 costs? 19 20 Will the refugees resettling in Spartanburg through World 21 Relief be given priority for health care, welfare benefits, 22 housing, and job assistance or training over American 23 citizens, and especially those who are residents and 24 taxpayers of South Carolina? 25 26 Be it further resolved that the South Carolina Department of Social 27 Services must require and ensure accountability and transparency 28 for the expenditure of public funds for refugee resettlement 29 services provided directly by the department or in contract with 30 other agencies or service providers. 31 32 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to 33 Susan Alford, Director of the South Carolina Department of Social 34 Services. 35 XX 36

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