Senate committee hears bill to study creation of Office of New Americans

The Senate Government Operations Committee heard testimony March 11 on S.56, a bill to create a study committee to recommend whether Vermont should form an Office of New Americans to coordinate state services for immigrants, refugees and other new arrivals.

Supporters told the committee the proposal is designed to reduce service fragmentation, help integrate newcomers into the workforce and strengthen readiness if federal refugee support changes. Tucker Anderson, legislative counsel, said the bill would create a 14‑member study committee and make the director of the State Refugee Office the committee chair. "It is composed of 14 members," Anderson said, listing legislative, agency and community nominations and a set of governor appointees nominated by nonprofit partners.

The bill sets specific duties for the study committee, Anderson said: summarize demographic and service‑use data, catalog state and local barriers to workforce participation, review successful approaches in other states, propose whether and how to transfer or consolidate existing services, and recommend the structure, duties and funding for a stand‑alone office. The bill would require subcommittees on legal services; equity and access to state programs; and workforce, economic opportunity and inclusion. The Agency of Human Services would provide staffing; the chair must call an initial meeting by Sept. 1 and the committee would have one year to file its report, Anderson said. Compensation and expense reimbursement for members would come from monies appropriated to AHS and…