Give States a Chance Act of 2015

Give States a Chance Act of 2015

This bill authorizes the governor of any state in which it is proposed to place or resettle as a refugee an alien meeting certain criteria to refuse such placement or resettlement if the governor:

• has not properly been informed of the intended sponsorship process for the refugee,
• has determined that the proposed location for the refugee within the state is inappropriate because the proportion of refugees and comparable entrants in that location's population is too high, or
• is not reasonably satisfied that the refugee does not post a security threat.

A covered refugee may not be admitted to the United States until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies to Congress that he or she is not a U.S. security threat.

A "covered refugee" is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who:

• is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria,
• has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria, or
• has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011.

The Inspector General of DHS shall review 20% of all certifications made each fiscal year.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall ensure that each covered refugee receives a thorough background investigation before admission. A covered refugee may not be admitted until the FBI certifies that such an investigation has been done.