WCAX features VAAP on VT ONA Bill
WCAX Reports: Vt. bill would revamp state refugee office
By Laura Ullman
Published: Mar. 11, 2025 at 3:18 PM EDT|Updated: Mar. 11, 2025 at 7:08 PM EDT
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - A new bill at the Statehouse would change the way immigration affairs are handled in Vermont.
The Agency of Human Services’ State Refugee Office is currently the only state-sponsored organization working with immigrants. Other Vermont nonprofits working with immigrants are siloed and threatened by federal cuts, according to Jill Martin Diaz with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.
The proposed Office for New Americans would create a hub for immigrant affairs organizations and funding. “Many states have introduced ONA equivalents to great success. They’re reporting that agencies are more coordinated, more impactful, and more successful at supporting immigrant workforce to achieve economic integration and economic self-sufficiency,” Diaz said.
The bill had its first reading Tuesday in the Senate Committee on Government Operations.
If it becomes a law, a report with a framework for the office will be released this fall, with operations beginning in early 2026.
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