(1) “Absorptive capacity” is a determination made by a local government evaluating, for a host community within that jurisdiction:
(A) The capacity of the community’s social service and healthcare agencies to meet the existing needs of the community’s current residents;(B) The availability of affordable housing, low-cost housing, or both, and existing waiting lists for such housing in the community;(C) The capacity of the local school district to meet the needs of the existing or anticipated refugee student population; and(D) The ability of the local economy to absorb new workers without causing competition with local residents for job opportunities, displacing existing local workers, or adversely affecting the wages or working conditions of the local workforce;(2) “Local government” or “local governments” refers to either the city council, governing body of any county having a metropolitan form of government, or county legislative body which regulates any host community being considered for refugee resettlement activity;(3) “Tennessee office for refugees” means the state office which 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; and(4) “Tennessee refugee coordinator” means the official designated by the Tennessee office for refugees.
