State Advisory Council
In accordance with the Refugee Act of 1980, the California State Advisory Council (SAC) on Refugee Assistance and Services was established by the California Department of Social Services.
The SAC meets quarterly to discuss matters pertaining to refugee resettlement.
Through the involvement of a broad coalition of agencies, service organizations, and private stakeholders comprising the 18-member body, the SAC is in a unique position to assist California in forming more comprehensive, culturally informed, and cohesive refugee resettlement programs.
Members provide input on critical issues affecting refugees and make recommendations regarding policy decisions that are crucial to the development of comprehensive, responsive, client-centered, and culturally and linguistically sensitive refugee resettlement programs in California. Issues may include, but are not limited to, income assistance, health services, employment services, and acculturation services for California’s resettled refugees. A detailed description of the SAC is provided below.
The success of the SAC depends on a diverse and equitably determined member body, with Council members representing all sectors involved in, or affected by, the Refugee Resettlement Program in California. Membership is determined through a public nomination and voting process (or by appointment for organization seats). Members are elected for three years at a time, by majority vote, following a 30-day open nomination window. Open positions may occasionally be posted interim to the three-year term windows. For more information on the requirements for nominations, reference the Public Member Job Description (posted in the links below).
SAC public member nominations are announced officially in a call for nominations on this webpage. If nominations are being actively accepted, you will see a notice posted in the section below on this webpage. Nominations are open for 30 days, or until a limit of 4 nominees are received for each open public seat. The nominations window may also be extended if no nomination forms are received within 30 days.
Organization seats are appointed by CDSS and the relevant agency, but openings will be posted to the website for the Public’s general awareness.
The Refugee Programs Bureau encourages you to review resources related to the SAC linked below.
Upcoming SAC Meeting
- March Quarterly Meeting - Thursday 14th, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- June Quarterly Meeting - Thursday 13th, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- September Quarterly Meeting - Thursday 12th, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- December Quarterly Meeting - Thursday 12th, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
General Information Resources:
Previous Meeting Information:
Nominations Form:
Listing of Open Seats:
At this time, there are no open seats on the State Advisory Council. Please check back to this webpage regularly for announcements of new Public Seat vacancies. If there is a vacancy on the SAC, a bulletin will be linked with instructions for submitting a completed SAC nomination packet. Thank you for your interest in being a part of the SAC, and we look forward to seeing you in the open Quarterly Meetings.
Note: Some of the links below are information in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Please see Tips for Using Adobe PDF Files for details.
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