1. Make sure refugee employment funding is in the budget
2. Federal SSI extension for refugees

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These Action Alerts are political capital for our lobbying effort in Olympia. Taking the 5 minutes to read and respond to an Action Alert is akin to a donation to the Jewish Community. Not a gift of money, but a gift of advocacy. The Jewish Federation has an agenda designed by its beneficiary agencies, and these legislative priorities need the support of the community to survive. Devastating cuts to nursing home funding, discriminatory practices by life insurance companies and inadequate funding for vital refugee resettlement programs will all be the consequences of not taking action! Legislators DO read these emails and it DOES make a difference. Please, be an active voice for the Jewish Community and respond to this Action Alert! And when legislators respond to you, please let us know! It is extremely helpful for us to know if a legislator has a question, concerns, or supports the legislation.

HOW TO USE THIS ACTION ALERT: Each week, we highlight several key issues before the Washington State Legislature which have a direct impact on our community and community agencies. This Action Alert contains brief summaries of the key issues before the Legislature this week. It also provides you with direct e-mail links to your legislators and Legislative leaders. We provide you with a draft e-mail text which you can directly send or which you can modify to better represent your thoughts on an issue. When you send an e-mail, please be sure to fill out all of the information so that your legislator can directly respond to you.

In this alert:

1. Make sure refugee employment funding is in the budget
2. Federal SSI extension for refugees

The Mood
Starting with the release of Governor Gregoire's budget last week, the budget has taken the limelight in the legislature. This Monday, the Senate released their version of the 2-year operating budget. Both budgets adress some items on our agenda - but omit others. We'll see the House budget next Monday morning.

The Senate does start a phase-out of the bed-tax, and provides increased funding for nursing home reimbursements, instead of cutting them like the Governor's version. Neither version provides any additional, necessary dollars for the Limited English Proficient Program for Refugee employment that JFS runs along with other community-based providers.

Updates on other legislation:

• Both versions (House and Senate) of the life insurance travel bills are alive having passed their respective houses of origin. Both were being heard Tuesday in their opposite house and must be voted out of committee by 5pm on Friday (the House version was passed in the Senate committee yesterday after we reached a compromise with the insurance industry). Click here to read an AP article on the legislation.
  
• The legislation barring discrimination based on genetic information for life insurance passed the Senate and is going to be voted out of the House committee soon.
  
• HB 1515 (otherwise known as the Cal Anderson/Ed Murray bill) that adds sexual orientation to the Human Rights Code passed the House and was heard and passed the Senate committee. It's on its was to the Rules committee, then the Senate floor. Rabbi Kadden from Tacoma provided great testimony on behalf of the Jewish community.

Adults
Issue: Saving the Refugee Limited English Pathway Program

Update: Funding for this program was not included in either the Governor's budget or the Senate budget.

Jewish Family Service (JFS) assists Jewish refugees from the Former Soviet Union and other countries in starting new lives in the Greater Seattle community. At the JFS Multi-Ethnic Service Center, refugees from diverse communities receive job development, English as a Second Language, and case management services. JFS recently moved into the Kent area under Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Service’s (DSHS) behest to begin serving individuals there. JFS serves approximately 400 individuals from myriad different ethnic and religious backgrounds. For example, the agency is sponsoring the resettlement of up to 100 additional Hmong to the Seattle area over the next year.

Due to poor budgeting by DSHS, this program has been cut over the past few years. Two years ago, JFS’ contract for helping refugees find necessary social services was cut by 50%. Last year, a $70,000 dollar cut was averted by the legislature appropriating $1.25 million in additional funds for the program. The program needs at least $4 million over the next two years to avoid additional cuts.

We are leading a coalition of other providers to seek additional funding in the 05-07 biennial budget. We are also discussing the problem with the new administration in hopes of having the Governor order DSHS to fund the program out of other funds.

Action: Contact your state legislators and ask them to make additional funding for LEP one of their priorities

Adults
Issue: Make sure Elderly and Disabled Refugees don't lose necessary benefits

Update: The 1996 Welfare law, included a provision which had the effect of cutting off benefits to refugees who were unable to become naturalized citizens during their first 7 years in the United States. Consequently, since August 22, 2003, thousands of elderly and disabled refugees have lost access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a life-sustaining public benefits program. Jewish Family Service, through its refugee resettlement program, has done a very good job naturalizing their clients, however those that lose their SSI have very few options.

However, because of processing delays, difficulty learning English, and a cap on the number of asylees issued green cards each year, seven years is not long enough for many individuals to become citizens. As a result, these elderly and disabled refugees are being cut-off from SSI benefits and face hardship and poverty. By 2010, approximately 20,000 refugees will lose SSI -- 8,000 of whom will be from the former Soviet Union.

The legislation, “SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act” (S.453/H.R.899), recently introduced by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Herb Kohl (D-WI), and Representatives Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Phil English (R-PA), will provide an additional two years of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to elderly and disabled refugees and other humanitarian migrants.

The pending legislation has received bipartisan support in both chambers. Furthermore, President Bush, in his fiscal year 2006 budget request, identified this problem as one needing an immediate solution.

Action: Please contact your Legislators and ask them to co-sponsor and vote for the "SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act."
Thank them if they have already done so. (Rep. McDermott is a sponsor of HR 899)

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