HR4995-119

What This Bill Does

The Enduring Welcome Act strengthens and operationalizes the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts. It establishes a State Department Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts and makes the Coordinator responsible for voluntary departures from Afghanistan, interagency vetting and case processing for eligible Afghan allies with State, DHS, and DOD, relocation and resettlement logistics with resettlement support centers and U.S.-based resettlement agencies, family reunification barriers involving active-duty servicemembers and veterans, integration support such as trauma recovery and medical care, a centralized secure database, and timely information to Congress. The bill also requires collection of metrics on Afghan SIV, refugee P1/P2, and parole cases; family reunification cases pending, approved, and completed; average time from application to vetting, relocation, and resettlement; denials and administrative closures with reasons; and military- or veteran-linked family separation cases. State must maintain a secure centralized database usable for operations, oversight, interagency coordination, and regular congressional reporting, with reports every 90 days after the database starts.

Who Benefits and How

Afghan allies in relocation pipelines benefit from a dedicated State Department office coordinating vetting, case processing, departure, relocation, and resettlement. Active-duty servicemembers with Afghan family cases benefit because the Coordinator must address family reunification barriers. Veterans with Afghan family cases benefit from the same required attention to family separation and relocation status. United States resettlement agencies benefit from clearer coordination with State on Afghan relocation logistics and integration support.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State Department CARE staff must run the office, maintain the database, coordinate agencies, and report to Congress every 90 days. DHS vetting staff must coordinate with State and DOD on security screening and case processing for eligible Afghan allies. Defense Department relocation staff must coordinate cases linked to U.S. servicemembers, veterans, and Afghan wartime partners. Federal data security staff must protect sensitive or classified Afghan applicant and beneficiary information in a centralized database.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts in the State Department.
• Assigns the Coordinator duties for voluntary departure, vetting, case processing, relocation logistics, family reunification, integration support, and congressional information.
• Requires collection of SIV, refugee, parole, family reunification, timing, denial, closure, and military-linked separation metrics.
• Requires a secure centralized database usable for operations, oversight, coordination, and regular reporting.
• Requires 90-day congressional reports after the database is established.