Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021 or the WELCOMED Act of 2021
This bill makes certain individuals from Afghanistan eligible for any benefit that is available to a refugee, such as resettlement assistance.Specifically, this bill shall apply to a national of Afghanistan (or an individual with no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan) who is temporarily paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit during the four-year period beginning on July 1, 2021.
To provide resettlement benefits for certain nationals of Afghanistan, 
                        and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Welcoming Evacuees Coming from 
Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021'' or the 
``WELCOMED Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. RESETTLEMENT BENEFITS FOR AFGHAN ENTRANTS.

    (a) Definition of Afghan Entrant.--In this Act, the term ``Afghan 
entrant'' means a national of Afghanistan (or in the case of an alien 
having no nationality, a person who last habitually resided in 
Afghanistan) who is paroled into the United States pursuant to section 
212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)) 
during the period beginning on July 1, 2021, and ending on July 1, 
2025.
    (b) Resettlement Support Authorized.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an Afghan entrant shall be eligible for resettlement 
assistance (including services for unaccompanied refugee minors) and 
any other Federal public benefit (as defined in section 401(c) of the 
Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
1611(c))) in the same manner as an alien admitted to the United States 
under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1157).
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
                                 <all>
WELCOMED Act of 2021
A bill to provide resettlement benefits for certain nationals of Afghanistan, and for other purposes.
WELCOMED Act of 2021
Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021
Sen. Merkley, Jeff