HouseH.R. 9667119th Congress
Securing Healthcare and Income Entitlements for Lawfully Domiciled Citizens (SHIELD Citizens) Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9667 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9667
To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996 to restrict eligibility for Federal welfare
programs to citizens of the United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2026
Mr. Fuller (for himself, Mr. Carter of Georgia, and Mr. McCormick)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and
Commerce, Financial Services, Education and Workforce, 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
Reconciliation Act of 1996 to restrict eligibility for Federal welfare
programs to citizens of the United States, and for other purposes.
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 ``Securing Healthcare and Income
Entitlements for Lawfully Domiciled Citizens (SHIELD Citizens) Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Section 400 of the Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, signed into law by Bill
Clinton, declares it a policy of the United States that
noncitizens should not depend on public resources to meet their
needs, and that the availability of public benefits should not
constitute an incentive for immigration to the United States.
(2) Notwithstanding that policy, there are several areas
where welfare benefits are made available to noncitizens.
(3) Congress intends by this Act to close that eligibility
to all noncitizens, so that Federal welfare programs are
available only to citizens of the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Federal welfare program.--The term ``Federal welfare
program'' means any of the following, and any successor
program:
(A) The temporary assistance for needy families
program under part A of title IV of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
(B) The supplemental nutrition assistance program
under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011
et seq.).
(C) The supplemental security income program under
title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et
seq.).
(D) The Medicaid program under title XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
(E) Federal housing assistance, including under
section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f) and other federally funded public or
assisted housing programs.
(F) The special supplemental nutrition program for
women, infants, and children (WIC) under section 17 of
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
(G) The low-income home energy assistance program
under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981
(42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.).
(H) Any other federally funded cash, food, housing,
medical, or energy assistance program for individuals
or households that the head of the administering agency
designates by regulation as a ``Federal welfare
program'' for purposes of this Act.
(2) Citizen.--The term ``citizen'' means a citizen or
national of the United States, as defined in section 101(a) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
SEC. 4. CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERAL WELFARE PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 401 of the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611) is
amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``aliens who are
not qualified aliens'' and inserting ``individuals who are not
citizens''; and
(2) Section 401(b) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1611(b)) is
amended by striking paragraph (1) and redesignating paragraphs
(2) through (5) as paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 402 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1612)
is amended by striking ``qualified alien'' each place it appears in a
provision relating to a Federal welfare program (as defined in section
3(1) of this Act) and inserting ``citizen (as defined in section 3(2)
of the Federal Welfare Citizenship Requirement Act of 2026)''.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to affect--
(1) the exceptions preserved in section 401(b) of the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
of 1996, as redesignated by subsection (a), for emergency
medical treatment, short-term in-kind disaster relief,
immunizations and treatment of communicable disease symptoms,
and in-kind community services such as soup kitchens, crisis
counseling, and short-term shelter; or
(2) eligibility for a program not defined as a Federal
welfare program under section 3(1), including the old-age,
survivors, and disability insurance programs under title II of
the Social Security Act, Medicare under title XVIII of the
Social Security Act, and unemployment compensation, which
remain governed by existing law.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; TRANSITION.
(a) Effective Date.--This Act and the amendments made by this Act
take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year that begins at
least 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Transition for Current Recipients.--An individual who, as of
the day before the effective date under subsection (a), is a qualified
alien (as defined in section 431 of the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as in effect on the day
before that date) lawfully receiving benefits under a Federal welfare
program shall remain eligible for such benefits for not more than 180
days after the effective date, to allow for redetermination or orderly
transition off the program.
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