Executive Order  No. 265: Office of Refugee Resettlement

(Amending Executive Order No. 257)

WHEREAS, the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement has requested clarification of the authority of the Massachusetts Office of Refugee Resettlement; and

WHEREAS, the Massachusetts Office of Refugee Resettlement will be located in the Office of the Secretary of the Executive Office of Human Services;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Michael S. Dukakis, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

Paragraphs 1.2, 1.4, and 2.4 of Executive Order 257 are hereby amended to read as follows:

1.2 State Refugee Coordinator

The administrator of M.O.R.R. shall be the State Refugee Coordinator, who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Coordinator shall develop, implement and monitor refugee resettlement policies and programs within the Commonwealth. The Coordinator shall submit to the federal government, as required by Pub. L. No. 96-212, an annual State Plan for refugees, and shall oversee the State Plan's programs and procedures. The Coordinator shall also approve all applications submitted by state agencies within the executive branch for funding by federal or private agencies for services specifically targeted for refugees.

1.4 M.O.R.R. shall be located in the Office of the Secretary of the Executive Office of Human Services, as it has been determined to be the most appropriate location in the executive branch of state government for M.O.R.R. to effectively oversee and monitor the variety of services and programs provided to refugees.

2.4 Upon placement of refugees in the community, M.O.R.R. shall coordinate and supervise the administration of the provision of the following transitional services for refugees, as required by Pub. L. No. 96-212, in order to assist refugees during the period they are being prepared for and are actively seeking employment: cash and medical assistance, health assessment and follow-up services, emergency services, information and referral, case management, language skills development, and employment preparation. Where these services are delivered through other state agencies, M.O.R.R.'s coordinating and oversight role shall be detailed in agreements made with those agencies.

Given at the Executive Chamber Boston this 22nd day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America two hundred and eleven.

Michael S. Dukakis, Governor
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Michael Joseph Connolly
Secretary of the Commonwealth