Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023

Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023

This bill expands the eligibility of citizens of the Freely Associated States lawfully residing in the United States for certain federal public benefits.

Currently, citizens of the Freely Associated States (Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau) may live, study, and work in the United States as nonimmigrants. However, such individuals are generally ineligible for most federal public benefits, with Medicaid being one exception. Under this bill, such individuals may be eligible for certain federal public benefits, such as benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Furthermore, current law generally bars individuals from receiving federal means-tested public benefits for the five-year period starting from the individual's entry into the United States. Under this bill, citizens of the Freely Associated States living in the United States shall not be subject to this bar.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1571 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1571

 To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 
to provide certain Federal public benefits to citizens of the Federated 
  States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
  Republic of Palau who are lawfully residing in the United States if 
   they are otherwise qualified, consistent with section 141 of the 
                     Compacts of Free Association.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2023

   Mr. Case (for himself, Mr. Womack, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
 Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, 
  and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 
to provide certain Federal public benefits to citizens of the Federated 
  States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
  Republic of Palau who are lawfully residing in the United States if 
   they are otherwise qualified, consistent with section 141 of the 
                     Compacts of Free Association.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Compact Impact Fairness Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF FEDERAL PUBLIC BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY FOR CITIZENS OF 
              FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and 
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(N) Exception for citizens of freely associated 
                states.--With respect to eligibility for benefits for 
                any specified Federal program, paragraph (1) shall not 
                apply to any individual who lawfully resides in the 
                United States in accordance with section 141 of the 
                Compacts of Free Association between the Government of 
                the United States and the Governments of the Federated 
                States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall 
                Islands, and the Republic of Palau, and who is a 
                citizen of one of those three nations.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(2)(G)--
                    (A) in the subparagraph heading, by striking 
                ``MEDICAID EXCEPTION FOR'' and inserting ``EXCEPTION 
                FOR''; and
                    (B) by striking ``the designated Federal program 
                defined in paragraph (3)(C) (relating to the Medicaid 
                program)'' and inserting ``any designated Federal 
                program''.
    (b) Exception to 5-Year Wait Requirement.--Section 403(b)(3) of 
such Act (8 U.S.C. 1613(b)(3)) is amended by striking ``, but only with 
respect to the designated Federal program defined in section 
402(b)(3)(C)''.
    (c) Definition of Qualified Alien.--Section 431(b)(8) of such Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1641(b)(8)) is amended by striking ``, but only with respect 
to the designated Federal program defined in section 402(b)(3)(C) 
(relating to the Medicaid program)''.
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