# § 1521. Office of Refugee Resettlement; establishment; appointment of Director; functions
**(a)** There is established, within the Department of Health and Human Services, an office to be known as the Office of Refugee Resettlement (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Office”). The head of the Office shall be a Director (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Director”), to be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Secretary”).
**(b)** The function of the Office and its Director is to fund and administer (directly or through arrangements with other Federal agencies), in consultation with the Secretary of State, programs of the Federal Government under this subchapter.
---
**Source Credit**: (June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title IV, ch. 2, § 411, as added Pub. L. 96–212, title III, § 311(a)(2), Mar. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 110; amended Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 162(n)(1), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 409.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1994—Subsec. (b). substituted “the Secretary of State” for “and under the general policy guidance of the United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the ‘Coordinator’)”.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by applicable with respect to officials, offices, and bureaus of Department of State when executive orders, regulations, or departmental directives implementing the amendments by sections 161 and 162 of become effective, or 90 days after , whichever comes earlier, see , as amended, set out as a note under , Foreign Relations and Intercourse.
### Effective Date
Subchapter applicable with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after , see , set out as a note under .
### Short Title of Refugee Act of 1980
For short title of Refugee Act of 1980, see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under .
### References to Secretary of Education or Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services
> “Any reference in this Act [see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under
>
> ] or in chapter 2 of title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act [this subchapter] to the Secretary of Education or the Secretary of Health and Human Services or to the Department of Health and Human Services shall be deemed, before the effective date of the Department of Education Organization Act [see Effective Date note set out under
>
> , Education], to be a reference to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare or to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, respectively.”
, , , provided that:
### Congressional Declaration of Policies and Objectives
> **“(a)** the Congress declares that it is the historic policy of the United States to respond to the urgent needs of persons subject to persecution in their homelands, including, where appropriate, humanitarian assistance for their care and maintenance in asylum areas, efforts to promote opportunities for resettlement or voluntary repatriation, aid for necessary transportation and processing, admission to this country of refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States, and transitional assistance to refugees in the United States. The Congress further declares that it is the policy of the United States to encourage all nations to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities to refugees to the fullest extent possible.
>
> **“(b)** The objectives of this Act [see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under section 1101 of this title] are to provide a permanent and systematic procedure for the admission to this country of refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States, and to provide comprehensive and uniform provisions for the effective resettlement and absorption of those refugees who are admitted.”
, , , provided that: