Pierre — The House on Thursday passed House Bill 11‑06, a measure to require annual reports from refugee resettlement agencies containing data such as country of origin, age and education to help state and local planning.

Proponents said the data help local governments, nonprofits and service providers prepare housing, school and social supports. Representative Alk, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure revives a reporting practice that lapsed after a previous sunset and that the information has been useful in the past for local planning. “This information isn’t anything that, for instance, Lutheran Social Services isn’t already doing,” Alk said; the bill documents and centralizes those data for state and local use.

Some members questioned whether the bill included enforcement or penalties for noncompliance. Alk and others said the agencies have historically cooperated and routinely provided the data; Representative Jamieson and Representative Schaeff Bauer described the reports as helpful for meal programs, clothing drives and school preparation.

Final passage: HB 11‑06 passed on a 56–12 roll call with 1 excused. Sponsors said the reports would be made available through the governor’s office as in prior years.

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