House Bill 2380 was introduced Monday by Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-Philadelphia/Montgomery, and Rep. Robert Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, with support from 18 fellow Democrats. Companion legislation, Senate Bill 1176, has been introduced in the Senate sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny.

Pennsylvania is home to more than 122,000 Ukrainians, the second most of any U.S. state.

“Pennsylvania has a legacy of welcoming people fleeing oppression, and the same holds true now. I’m proud to support a plan to help Ukrainians who resettle in our communities,” said Rep. Boyle.

The group proposes providing assistance for as long as necessary. Aid has been limited in the past to 30 days of support for Afghan refugees and 90 days for traditional refugees. Money will be disbursed by the state Department of Human Services Refugee Resettlement Program’s contracted providers and used to supplement existing federal investments and create faster and more flexible ways to deliver expanded services that will help refugee populations find and retain employment, achieve self-sufficiency, and fully integrate into their communities. That includes securing short- and long-term housing, or other housing coordination initiatives; targeted English-as-Second-Language education and support; occupational skills and training to prepare individuals for in-demand jobs in Pennsylvania; and certification or recertification courses for arrivals with degrees oversees that are not transferrable to the United States.

Senator Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) Appropriations State Related Universities March 03, 2022 House Democratic Caucus

“The $2 million figure matches recent federal infusion of funds to support Afghan arrivals,” Boyle and Matzie wrote in their legislative memorandum. “Pennsylvania has welcomed Syrian and Afghan refugees in the past and these efforts have expanded our local resettlement partners’ capacity to serve more refugees — which means we have a capacity ready to support individuals fleeing Ukraine but have exhausted previous eligible funds.”

President Joe Biden said recently the United States will accept up to 100,000 people escaping the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. It is estimated there are more than 3.6 million refugees and millions more displaced within Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.

While in Brussels to meet with European allies, Biden also committed $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to countries affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many of the 3.6 million refugees who have fled Ukraine are in neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova and Romania.

Among the first Ukrainians refugee coming to the U.S. will be those who have family already in the United States, Biden said at a news conference.

U.S. refugee efforts will also focus on helping refugees who are considered particularly vulnerable following the Russian invasion, groups that include LGBTQ people, those with medical needs as well as journalists and dissidents, according to administration officials, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the plan before the public announcement.

State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, speaks in the House chamber.

The administration did not provide a timeline but it’s typically a lengthy process and the officials said all 100,000 may not necessarily arrive this year. Most of the refugees probably will settle in parts of the U.S. that already have large concentrations of Ukrainians. Such areas include the New York City area, Pennsylvania, Chicago and Northern California.

“The first Ukrainian refugees are beginning to arrive in Pennsylvania this week, and the agencies ready to receive them need our support,” Williams said. “Over 4 million people have fled Ukraine, leaving behind almost everything as they escaped Russia’s unprovoked attack on their homes and way of life. The New Neighbors Fund created by SB 1176 will allow our agencies on the ground to serve these refugees and meet their immediate needs as they arrive here in Pennsylvania and begin to heal and rebuild from the trauma they’ve experienced.”