As used in this article:

(a) “Local government” or “local governments” refers to either the city council or county commission that regulates any host community being considered for refugee resettlement activity.

(b) “Local educational agency” means:

A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state for either administrative control of or direction of, or to perform service functions for, public elementary or secondary schools in:

(1) A county; or

(2) Such combination of school districts or counties the state recognizes as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary schools; or

(3) Any other public institution or agency that has administrative control and direction of a public elementary or secondary school.

(c)“Refugee resettlement organization” means any organization that receives federal funding for refugee resettlement, including any replacement designee.

(d) “State office dealing with refugees” means the state office within the Department of Health and Human Resources that administers the refugee program for this state, or the entity or agency to whom the state has delegated such function and that has been designated and recognized by the federal government to administer such program.

(e) “State refugee coordinator” means the official designated by the state office dealing with refugees.

§15-15-2. State office within the Department of Health and Human Resources dealing with refugees.

The state office within the Department of Health and Human Resources which deals with refugees shall:

(a) Meet at least quarterly, giving at least 30 days public notice, with representatives of local governments to plan and coordinate the appropriate placement of refugees in advance of the refugees’ arrival;

(b) Ensure that representatives of local resettlement agencies, local community service agencies, and other publicly-funded or tax-exempt agencies that serve refugees in this state meet at least quarterly with representatives of local governments, including representatives of law enforcement and local educational agencies, to plan and coordinate the appropriate placement of refugees in the host community in advance of the refugees' arrival;

(c) Execute a letter of agreement with each agency providing refugee resettlement services in this state; which requires the parties to mutually consult and prepare a plan for the initial placement of refugees in a host community and set forth the continuing process of consultation between the parties. The provisions of the letter agreement shall be consistent with federal law regulating the resettlement of refugees;

(d) Provide a certification that the refugees settled in the state do not pose a security or health risk to the citizens of the state; and

(e) At least quarterly transmit copies of the letters of agreement and any initial refugee placement plans prepared thereunder to the chairman of the House of Delegates and Senate committees on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security and the Judiciary, respectively, to the chairman of the budget committee of the local government hosting the host refugee community, to the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, to the Attorney General of the state, to the Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police, to the sheriff of every county in this state, to the West Virginia Superintendent of Schools, and to the superintendent of schools for each county in the state.

(f) Commencing after the end of calendar year 2019, within 30 days of the close of that calendar year, and in each succeeding year, transmit to the chairman of the House of Delegates and Senate committees on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security and the Judiciary, respectively; to the chairman of the budget committee of the local government hosting the host refugee community, to the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, to the Attorney General of the state, to the Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police, to the sheriff of every county in this state, to the West Virginia Superintendent of Schools, and to the superintendent of schools for each county in the state, the following data for the prior fiscal or calendar year:

(1) Copies of statistical and programmatic information provided to the federal government, including any Reception and Placement Program Proposal or resettlement abstract, but this information shall be provided prior to being provided to the federal government;

(2) Copies of the written policies of the Refugee Cash Assistance program, including agency policies regarding eligibility standards, the duration and amount of cash assistance payments, the requirements for participation in services, the penalties for noncooperation, and client rights and responsibilities to ensure that refugees understand what they are eligible for, what is expected of them, and what protections are available to them;

(3) Copies of any written public/private Refugee Cash Assistance program operating at any time in the calendar year;

(4) A report documenting the number of refugees sanctioned for failure to comply with the requirements of the Refugee Cash Assistance Program, and the number of determinations concerning employability, or failure or refusal to carry out job search or to accept an appropriate offer of employability services or employment, resulting in denial or termination of assistance;

(5) A certification that women have the same opportunities as men to participate in all services provided, including job placement services;

(6) Any reports, either submitted or received, of any crime committed by or any crime committed against a refugee who has been resettled in the state, including incidents of child abuse, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse, sex trafficking. human trafficking, or terrorism, whether prosecuted or not; and

(7) A report delineating:

(A) The total number of refugees resettled;

(B) The total number of refugees under the age of 18 resettled;

(D) The total number of refugees between the ages of 40 and 65 resettled;

(E) The total number of refugees over the age of 65;

(F) The total number of refugees who are women and men, respectively;

(G) The public assistance benefit programs that the refugees have applied for or enrolled into;

(H) The total number of refugee minors enrolled in a public school;

(I) The total of refugee minors accessing English language learner services;

(J) The education levels of the refugees resettled by gender:

(K) The locations by zip code of initial resettlement for refugees resettled that year;

(L) The process by which the refugees entering the state were determined to not pose a security risk to the citizens of the state:

(M) For each and every refugee a description as to what vaccinations the refugee has received and the diseases for which the refugee has been screened, including a statement if such information is not available;

(N) For each and every refugee their five previous employers and incomes including a statement if such information is not available; and

(O) A certification that all of the requirements found in this section have been met.

§15-15-3. Fiscal impacts.