Summarizes the intent and provisions of the Refugee Act of 1980, introduced to the Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy in March 1979. The purpose of the Act is to create a permanent, systematic procedure for admitting refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States and also to provide comprehensive, uniform services for the effective resettlement of those refugees who are admitted. Among other things, the Act: (1) amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the definition of refugee to accommodate individuals fleeing or fearful of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group; (2) authorizes the U.S. President to exceed annual refugee admissions levels for humanitarian purposes; (3) directs the President to appoint a United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs to develop and coordinate an overall U.S. refugee admission and resettlement policy; (4) establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for providing child welfare services to unaccompanied children until they are 18 years old; and (5) provides financial reimbursement to state and local public agencies for expenses incurred in providing social services to asylum-seekers.
