Requires that individuals requesting public assistance who are not United States citizens be reported to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)
Summary
HB 307 creates a new Louisiana law requiring state agencies and political subdivisions to verify the citizenship or qualifying immigration status of applicants for federal, state, or local public benefits, unless federal law prohibits the verification. Applicants claiming U.S. citizenship or satisfactory immigration status must be subject to reasonable efforts to confirm that status before benefits are granted or continued.
If verification shows that an applicant is not a U.S. citizen or lacks satisfactory immigration status and has entered without inspection or admission, or overstayed authorized status, the agency must refer the person’s information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, send monthly information to the secretary of state for voter list maintenance purposes, and terminate recurring public benefits. The law also requires annual reporting to legislative leaders, the governor, and the legislative research library on the number of referrals and terminations.
Impact
The bill adds R.S. 46:233.4 to Louisiana law and expands administrative duties for agencies that administer public assistance, including welfare, health, disability, housing, food assistance, unemployment, retirement, and similar programs. It also creates a specific verification rule for public pension and retirement systems, allowing prior citizenship or immigration verification at enrollment to satisfy the statute. The measure affects applicants for public benefits, agencies that administer those programs, ICE, and the secretary of state, and it may increase administrative and reporting burdens while potentially reducing benefit eligibility for some noncitizens.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received majority support in both chambers, passing the House 66-26, the Senate 27-10, and House concurrence 72-12. The vote margins suggest the measure was generally favored, though not unanimously, indicating meaningful opposition. No committee transcript is available, so the available record shows support through final passage but also a consistent minority of lawmakers voting against it.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s treatment of noncitizens seeking public assistance, especially the requirement to report certain individuals to ICE and to terminate recurring benefits after an adverse verification result. Critics are likely to object to the immigration-enforcement role assigned to benefit agencies, the breadth of programs covered, and the potential chilling effect on eligible applicants. Supporters likely view the bill as a safeguard against improper access to public benefits and as a tool for immigration-status verification and voter list maintenance.