Enduring Welcome Act of 2025 · Introduced in House (2025-08-19) · Congress.wiki

H.R. 4995

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To modify the responsibilities of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · August 19, 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Kamlager-Dove

H.R. 4995

SEC. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Enduring Welcome Act of 2025.

SEC. 2. Findings

Congress finds the following:
- The Enduring Welcome program is the safest, most secure legal immigration pathway to the United States.
- The resettlement of Afghan allies in the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) P1/P2 pipelines is critical to upholding United States credibility and incentivizing future support for United States servicemembers.
- Failing to reunite active-duty United States military personnel and veterans with their Afghan family members in the Afghan relocation pipeline is harmful to the United States servicemember community.
- A review conducted by Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General released on June 10, 2025, concluded that the process for vetting applicants for Afghan SIVs is rigorous and effective in protecting United States national security.
- The permanent authorization of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) under section 7810 of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 () reflects a bipartisan commitment to fulfilling wartime promises and ensuring accountability in United States relocation policy. Public Law 118–159

SEC. 3. Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts

Section 7810 of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 () is amended— Public Law 118–159
- in subsection (a)—
  - in the subsection heading, by striking ; and
  - in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
    - (i) by inserting before the following: ; and
    - (ii) by inserting before the following: ;
- by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and
  - (c) Additional responsibilities
    - The Coordinator shall be responsible for—
      - supporting the voluntary departure of covered persons who request assistance departing Afghanistan;
      - leading coordination of interagency efforts relating to vetting, security screening, and case processing of eligible Afghan allies in the Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense;
      - facilitating relocation and resettlement logistics in coordination with resettlement support centers and United States-based resettlement agencies;
      - addressing family reunification barriers, including cases involving United States active-duty servicemembers and veterans;
      - coordinating integration support, including trauma recovery and medical care, with other Federal agencies;
      - maintaining and analyzing a centralized, secure database of Afghan applicants, beneficiaries, and relocated individuals to inform operations and ensure transparency; and
      - providing timely information to Congress on the status of Afghan relocation efforts and progress made under this mandate.
- by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

SEC. 4. Collection of information and database

(a) Collection of information
- The Coordinator shall collect information on Afghan applicants, beneficiaries, and relocated individuals to inform operations and ensure transparency, including—
  - the number of Afghan nationals pursuing admission to the United States as a special immigrant under section 602 of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 ( note), as a refugee under section 207 of such Act () (whether as priority one or priority 2), or as a parolee under section 212(d)(5)(A) of such Act (), disaggregated by whether they are in Afghanistan, the United States, or a third country; 8 U.S.C. 1101; 8 U.S.C. 1157; 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A)
  - the number of family reunification cases pending, approved, and completed;
  - the average time between application, vetting, relocation, and resettlement;
  - the number of individuals who have been denied or administratively closed out, and the reason for such actions;
  - the number of active-duty United States military and veteran-linked cases involving family separation; and
  - such other information as the Secretary of State or Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts may prescribe.
(b) Database
- (1) In general
  - The Secretary of State shall establish and maintain a secure, centralized database to maintain the information collected pursuant to subsection (a).
- (2) Form
  - The information in the database established pursuant to this subsection may be in classified form to the extent necessary but such information shall be usable for operational reporting, oversight, coordination across relevant Federal departments and agencies, and regular reporting to Congress.
- (3) Report
  - Beginning on the date that is 30 days after the date on which the database required by this subsection is established, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the status of each metric with respect to information that is being collected pursuant to subsection (a).
(c) Notification
- Beginning on and after the date specified in section 7(a), the Secretary of State shall continue to maintain this database required by this section unless the Secretary, with prior consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, provides notification to the appropriate congressional committees that shall include—
  - the number of covered persons with pending relocation cases or appeals before the United States Government; and
  - the estimated population of eligible covered persons which remains to be resettled.

SEC. 5. Definitions

In this Act:
- The term appropriate congressional committees means—
- The term Coordinator means the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts appointed pursuant to section 3(a).
- The term covered person means—

SEC. 6. Sunset

(a) In general
- Except as provided in section 4(c), this Act and the authorities provided by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Conforming amendment
- Subsection (f) of section 7810 of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (), as redesignated by section 3, is amended by striking and inserting . Public Law 118–159