Current through Reg. 49, No. 52; December 27, 2024
(a) For purposes of this subchapter, the
following definitions apply.
(1) Business
day--A day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or federal legal holiday. In
computing a period of business days, the first day is excluded and the last day
is included. If the last day of any period is a Saturday, Sunday, or federal
legal holiday, the period is extended to include the next day that is not a
Saturday, Sunday, or federal legal holiday.
(2) C.F.R.--Code of Federal
Regulations.
(3) HHSC--Texas Health
and Human Services Commission, or its designee.
(4) Local resettlement agency--As defined by
45 C.F.R. §
400.2, means a local affiliate or
subcontractor of a national voluntary agency that has entered into a grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement with the United States Department of State
or other appropriate federal agency to provide for the reception and initial
placement of refugees in the United States.
(5) National voluntary agency--As defined by
45 C.F.R. §
400.2, means one of the national resettlement
agencies or a state or local government that has entered into a grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement with the United States Department of State
or other appropriate federal agency to provide for the reception and initial
placement of refugees in the United States.
(6) Refugee--An individual admitted to the
United States under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act.
(b) A local
resettlement agency must convene meetings at least quarterly at which
representatives of the local resettlement agency have an opportunity to consult
with and obtain feedback regarding proposed refugee placement from, at a
minimum:
(1) local governmental entities and
officials, including:
(A) municipal and county
officials;
(B) local school
district officials; and
(C)
representatives of local law enforcement agencies; and
(2) community stakeholders, including:
(A) major providers under the local health
care system; and
(B) major
employers of refugees.
(c) In addition to the quarterly meetings
held under subsection (b) of this section, local governmental entities and
community stakeholders may request to meet with a local resettlement agency
regarding refugee placement.
(1) A local
resettlement agency must respond within 10 business days to a request from a
local governmental entity or community stakeholder to meet.
(2) If a request for a meeting is denied, the
response must be in writing and the reason for denial must be clearly
stated.
(3) A copy of the denial
must be submitted to HHSC by the local resettlement agency no later than three
business days after it is sent to the local governmental entity or community
stakeholder.
(d) To
facilitate consultation and effective feedback, local governmental entities and
community stakeholders may request information from a local resettlement agency
related to the resettlement process.
(1) A
local resettlement agency must respond within 10 business days as to whether a
request for information from a local governmental entity or community
stakeholder will be granted.
(2) If
the request is granted, the local resettlement agency must provide the
requested information no later than 20 business days from the date of the
receipt of the request, to the extent not otherwise prohibited by state or
federal law.
(3) If a request for
information is denied, the response must be in writing and the reason for
denial must be clearly stated.
(4)
A copy of the denial must be submitted to HHSC by the local resettlement agency
no later than three business days after it is sent to the local governmental
entity or community stakeholder.
(e) A local resettlement agency must consider
all feedback obtained in community consultation meetings under subsections (b)
and (c) of this section in reporting annual refugee placement information to
the local refugee resettlement agency's national voluntary agency for purposes
of 8 United States Code (U.S.C.) §1522(b)(7)(E).
(f) A local resettlement agency must provide
HHSC, local governmental entities and officials, and community stakeholders
described under subsection (b) of this section a copy of proposed annual
refugee placement data for purposes of
8 U.S.C. §
1522(b)(7)(E).
(g) A local resettlement agency must develop
and submit a final annual report to the local refugee resettlement agency's
national voluntary agency and for HHSC that includes a summary regarding how
community stakeholder input contributed to the development of an annual refugee
placement report for purposes of
8 U.S.C. §
1522(b)(7)(E).
(h) A local resettlement agency must provide
HHSC with the preliminary number of refugees the local resettlement agencies
recommend to the national voluntary agencies for placement throughout the State
of Texas.
