The West Virginia Refugee Absorptive Capacity Act

HB 4863, the West Virginia Refugee Absorptive Capacity Act, requires state and local officials to assess community capacity before resettling refugees or immigrants. The bill mandates that the state office within the Department of Human Services evaluate factors like healthcare access, housing availability, school capacity, job market impact, and law enforcement resources through a formal assessment. It also requires quarterly coordination meetings with local governments, 30 days of public notice for resettlement plans, and fiscal impact reports before new resettlements begin. This directly affects local governments (counties/cities), the Department of Human Services, refugee resettlement organizations, and the communities receiving refugees.