Establishes a task force to be called the "office of asylum management" to study, evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to the management of asylum seekers in this state; requires reporting to the governor and the legislature.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4989
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, CUNNINGHAM, STIRPE, SAYEGH, MAGNAR-
ELLI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Oper-
ations
AN ACT in relation to establishing a task force to be called the office
of asylum management; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Office of asylum management task force. A task force to be
2 named the "office of asylum management" shall be established to study,
3 evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to the management of
4 asylum seekers in this state. For the purposes of this act, the term
5 "asylum seeker" shall mean an individual who changes their country of
6 usual residence to seek temporary or permanent residence in another
7 country, and who has applied for asylum under 8 U.S. Code § 1158 or is
8 eligible to apply; or who is a refugee as defined by section 101(a)(42)
9 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
10 § 2. Membership of task force. 1. The office of asylum management
11 shall consist of seventeen members who shall be appointed as follows:
12 (a) One member to be appointed by each of the following:
13 (i) The head of refugee services within the office of temporary and
14 disability assistance;
15 (ii) The commissioner of health;
16 (iii) The commissioner of labor;
17 (iv) The secretary of state;
18 (v) The commissioner of children and family services;
19 (vi) The commissioner of education;
20 (vii) The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services;
21 (viii) The commissioner of agriculture and markets;
22 (ix) The commissioner of the division of homeland security and emer-
23 gency services;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09156-01-5
A. 4989 2
1 (x) The commissioner of human rights; and
2 (xi) The director of the budget; and
3 (b) Two members to be appointed by each of the following:
4 (i) The speaker of the assembly;
5 (ii) The temporary president of the senate; and
6 (iii) The governor.
7 2. All appointments pursuant to this section shall be made no later
8 than the thirtieth day after the effective date of this act. Vacancies
9 in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner
10 provided for by the original appointments. The task force shall organize
11 as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members. The
12 members of the task force shall elect a chairperson from among its
13 members to serve as the head of the task force. The members of the task
14 force shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall
15 receive reimbursement for reasonable costs incurred in the performance
16 of their duties under this act.
17 § 3. Duties of task force. The office of asylum management shall
18 study, evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to state manage-
19 ment of asylum seekers including, but not limited to, the following:
20 (a) services that do not exist or that should be improved in the
21 state;
22 (b) the regions of the state experiencing, and expected to experience,
23 the greatest influx of asylum seekers;
24 (c) current state resources that are available;
25 (d) the average amount of time asylum seekers experience delays in
26 work authorization;
27 (e) work opportunities in the state that are available to asylum seek-
28 ers;
29 (f) data collection practices on asylum seekers before they enter the
30 state, so the state can be better prepared for such asylum seekers; and
31 (g) any other information that the office of asylum management shall
32 deem important.
33 § 4. Powers of task force. The task force shall be entitled to request
34 and receive, and shall utilize such facilities, resources and data of
35 any court, department, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of
36 the state or any political subdivision thereof as it may reasonably
37 request to properly carry out its duties under this act.
38 § 5. Reporting. The task force shall report its findings and recommen-
39 dations to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the
40 speaker of the assembly on or before the expiration of this act.
41 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
42 deemed repealed two years after such date.
