What the Office of Refugee Resettlement 2024 Updated State Plan Means for the Resettlement Network

August 28, 2024
Lillie Hinkle

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) revised its State Plan Template for Grants to States and Replacement Designees in 2024, impacting the ways that communities approach refugee resettlement and the leadership structure of the mandated quarterly consultation process. Key changes include streamlined administrative processes, standardized health and unaccompanied refugee minor sections, and expanded community engagement language. These revisions aim to enhance clarity in state plans, ensure accurate capacity reporting, and improve coordination with local resettlement agencies, particularly in quarterly consultations.

What changed?

In April 2024, following a brief period of public comment on the proposed changes, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) announced revisions to its State Plan Template for Grants to States and Replacement Designees (RD) for Refugee Resettlement (“state plan template,” found here). The revision impacts quarterly consultation (QC) administration and reporting per ORR requirements, including changes to the leadership structure of ORR’s required QC process. Administratively, many of these changes are designed to streamline processes and reporting, clarify certain metrics for describing capacity, and expand areas of reporting.

As outlined in ORR’s Dear Colleague Letter 24-09, the updates span the following areas:

1. Community Engagement and Consultation

- Adds detailed language regarding the state’s or RD’s process for leading or co-leading with local resettlement agencies the state quarterly consultations, which must include assessing community capacity, planning service provision, and addressing other aspects of community consultation and engagement [Sect. I(A)(5)]
- Adds new sections for describing engagement with ethnic communities and individuals with lived experience [Sect. I(A)(12)]

2. Health Services and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs)

- Standardizes sections related to health [in Sect. II(C) (4-5) and (D)(3)] to require “Yes” or “No” responses and a standard table to questions regarding the services included with Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) coverage (e.g., the availability of interpretation) and the scope of the medical screening process, such as screening components and protocols
- Streamlines language pertaining to unaccompanied refugee minors [Sect. II(F)] to require “Yes” or “No” responses and multiple-choice options to questions regarding assurances, standards of care, placement procedures, and the availability of linguistically accessible and/or state-funded services

3. Technical Corrections and Language Revisions

- Streamlines formatting of multiple sections of the template, including technical corrections
- Expands non-discriminatory language

How does this impact quarterly consultations and community engagement?

The “Yes” and “No” question format in the revised template aims to clarify reporting metrics and identify capacity gaps across states or communities. For instance, a “No” response to providing transportation services under RMA coverage signals a potential barrier to resettlement. This simplified reporting helps ORR quickly pinpoint areas where states and RDs might need federal support or guidance to address challenges.

The QC leadership updates may significantly impact state and RD coordination with the resettlement network. The State Refugee Coordinator (SRC) must work closely with the State Refugee Health Coordinator (SRHC) to lead or co-lead QC sessions, potentially alongside local resettlement agencies. This approach may fulfill federal requirements for local agencies’ quarterly community consultations. ORR otherwise allows flexibility in how QCs are conducted, as long as SRCs and SRHCs play a leading role either unilaterally or shared with resettlement agencies.

The revised template outlines specific QC requirements, including assessing community capacity, planning for arrivals, and projecting service needs using the best available data. It emphasizes coordinating refugee support, avoiding service duplication, and developing integration strategies. While many QCs already meet some requirements, updates may be needed, such as incorporating new data types.

The updated plan now asks about States’ and RDs’ efforts to promote inclusion through engagement with ethnic communities and individuals with lived experience. This highlights collaboration with underrepresented populations impacted by resettlement, elevating their voices to the federal level. While many States and RDs already engage with ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) and clients, this question encourages deeper relationships and client-informed service development.

Why does this matter and what could this mean for community stakeholders?

The updated state plan template affects State offices, RDs, community stakeholders, mainstream benefits providers, and resettlement agencies. Historically, ORR required quarterly consultations from States/RDs, while the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) required them from national resettlement agencies and their affiliates. Depending on the community’s preferences, PRM and ORR consultations may be held separately, led by local agencies, or co-led with the State office or RD. The new plan’s revisions are particularly impactful in states where resettlement agencies lead QCs, potentially increasing the involvement of State or RD offices in future consultations.

Until there are updates to the Cooperative Agreement between resettlement agencies and the Department of State, the impact of ORR’s revised template on other federal QC compliance measures remains unclear. ORR is working in tandem with PRM to ensure that federal guidance is aligned. In the meantime, some QCs may remain separate but similar. Stakeholders should plan strategically to prevent meeting fatigue and duplication when updating leadership and administrative structures.

When will the updated state plan go into effect?

The updated state plan is currently in effect. States and RDs should use it for fiscal year (FY) 2025 state plans that were due for submission in August 2024 and for any other subsequent amendments to those submitted plans.