The Alaska House State Affairs Committee heard testimony Tuesday on legislation to establish a comprehensive state office coordinating services for immigrants, refugees and other newcomers.

House Bill 188 would create the Welcoming Alaska Office within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, replacing the existing Office of Citizenship Assistance. The proposal comes as federal policy changes will require Alaska to transition refugee resettlement services from Catholic Social Services to state administration by 2027.

Representative Mina, the bill's sponsor, said the office would help address workforce needs by coordinating services for new Alaskans. "We have so many opportunities and jobs growing in the state, but we don't have enough people to fill those positions," Mina stated. "There are people who are in this state who are underutilized."

Sarah Shinkfield, Alaska State Refugee Coordinator, testified that nearly 3,000 refugees from 54 countries have settled in Alaska since 2003. Of approximately 1,200 people currently being served, 78% of working-age refugees are employed, representing more than 700 workers across 40 skill sets.

The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement announced that nonprofits can no longer administer federal refugee funding, forcing Alaska to restructure its services. Shinkfield said the transition would improve oversight of federal dollars while maintaining local service partnerships. The state will need to establish new administrative structures and processes to manage refugee services currently handled by Catholic Social Services, including case management, employment assistance, and community integration programs.

Zori Opanasevich of New Chance Ukraine Relief Program described coordination challenges when Ukrainians began arriving in 2022. "If a centralized office like the Welcoming Alaska office had existed, this would have been a completely different experience," Opanasevich noted.

The proposed office would include a nine-member advisory committee, department liaisons across state government, and authority to establish welcoming centers. Committee members questioned whether the office would work with employers on large projects and seasonal workers, and how it would coordinate with existing programs like international teacher recruitment.

The committee will continue discussing the bill next week without taking action Tuesday.