[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3177 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3177

  To develop a policy to address the critical needs of Iraqi refugees.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2008

  Mr. Reid (for Mr. Kennedy) (for himself, Mr. Biden, Mr. Hagel, Mr. 
 Smith, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To develop a policy to address the critical needs of Iraqi refugees.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. WHITE HOUSE COORDINATOR FOR IRAQI REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY 
              DISPLACED PERSONS.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established, in the Executive Office 
of the President, the position of White House Coordinator for Iraqi 
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (referred to in this section 
as the ``Coordinator''), who shall be appointed by the President.
    (b) Rank; Supervision.--The Coordinator shall--
            (1) have the rank and status of Ambassador-at-Large; and
            (2) report directly to the President.
    (c) Duties.--The Coordinator shall--
            (1) develop and implement United States' policies and 
        strategies to--
                    (A) address the protection, resettlement, and 
                assistance needs of Iraqi refugees and displaced 
                persons; and
                    (B) foster long-term solutions for improving the 
                lives of Iraqi citizens and nationals who have been 
                displaced;
            (2) coordinate all Federal Government functions to ensure 
        that a cohesive, comprehensive policy is implemented to address 
        the resettlement and humanitarian needs of Iraqi refugees and 
        internally displaced persons;
            (3) monitor the development and implementation of 
        assistance strategies to countries in the Middle East hosting 
        Iraqi refugees;
            (4) ensure that the President's budget requests to Congress 
        are sufficient to meet the needs of Iraqis and displaced 
        persons and seek to fund at least 50 percent of all United 
        Nations and other international organizations' appeals for 
        Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons;
            (5) serve as principal liaison with--
                    (A) the Government of Iraq and the international 
                community to solicit and direct bilateral and 
                multilateral contributions to address the humanitarian 
                needs of Iraqis in Syria, Jordan, and other countries 
                in the Middle East and internally displaced persons in 
                Iraq;
                    (B) the nongovernmental humanitarian community; and
                    (C) organizations that are assisting Iraqi refugees 
                and internally displaced persons; and
            (6) ensure that the United States Government will encourage 
        refugee returns only when conditions permit safe, sustainable 
        returns on a voluntary basis.
    (d) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act and every 180 days thereafter, the 
        Coordinator shall submit a report on the implementation of the 
        strategy developed under subsection (b)(1) to--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; 
                and
                    (D) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under this subsection 
        shall--
                    (A) include specific financial commitments made by 
                countries in the region, Arab League members, and other 
                major donors in the international community for Iraqi 
                refugees and internally displaced persons; and
                    (B) address challenges to securing additional 
                commitments.
                                 <all>