Immigration (Refugees & Asylum)

HB 5367, the Refugee Absorptive Capacity Act, requires West Virginia to assess a community's ability to support refugees before accepting new resettlements. The bill mandates local governments and the state to evaluate factors like healthcare capacity, housing availability, school resources, job market impact, and law enforcement readiness before approving refugee placements. This applies directly to refugee resettlement organizations and local governments (counties or cities) considering refugee intake. The law creates a procedural framework for these assessments but does not change current refugee acceptance numbers or policies.