What This Bill Does
This bill changes federal benefits eligibility rules for citizens of three Pacific island nations. It allows citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau to receive certain federal public benefits (government assistance programs) if they are living legally in the United States and meet other eligibility requirements.
Who It Affects
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. Federal agencies that administer public benefit programs.
Key Provisions
• Citizens of the three freely associated states (independent nations with special relationships to the U.S.) who live legally in the United States can access federal public benefits they currently cannot access, if they otherwise qualify for them (Sec. 2(a)(1)).
• Citizens of these three nations do not have to wait five years to become eligible for federal benefits, unlike other groups of people (Sec. 2(b)).
• The rules that define who is a "qualified alien" (a person legally allowed to get benefits) now include citizens from these three nations (Sec. 2(c)).
What Changes
Citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau become eligible for federal public benefit programs they previously could not access. These citizens no longer face a five-year waiting period for certain benefits.
Important Definitions
Compacts of Free Association: treaties (agreements between governments) between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
I
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 fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Ac-
countability, 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 juris-
diction 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 Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•HR 1571 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Compact Impact Fair-
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ness Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. PROVISION OF FEDERAL PUBLIC BENEFIT ELIGI-
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BILITY FOR CITIZENS OF FREELY ASSOCI-
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ATED STATES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 402 of the Personal Re-
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sponsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
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1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612) is amended—
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(1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end
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the following:
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‘‘(N) EXCEPTION FOR CITIZENS OF FREE-
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LY ASSOCIATED STATES.—With respect to eligi-
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bility for benefits for any specified Federal pro-
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gram, paragraph (1) shall not apply to any in-
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dividual who lawfully resides in the United
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States in accordance with section 141 of the
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Compacts of Free Association between the Gov-
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ernment of the United States and the Govern-
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ments of the Federated States of Micronesia,
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the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the
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Republic of Palau, and who is a citizen of one
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of those three nations.’’; and
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(2) in subsection (b)(2)(G)—
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•HR 1571 IH
(A) in the subparagraph heading, by strik-
1
ing ‘‘MEDICAID EXCEPTION FOR’’ and in-
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serting ‘‘EXCEPTION FOR’’; and
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(B) by striking ‘‘the designated Federal
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program defined in paragraph (3)(C) (relating
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to the Medicaid program)’’ and inserting ‘‘any
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designated Federal program’’.
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(b) EXCEPTION TO 5-YEAR WAIT REQUIREMENT.—
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Section 403(b)(3) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1613(b)(3)) is
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amended by striking ‘‘, but only with respect to the des-
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ignated
Federal
program
defined
in
section
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402(b)(3)(C)’’.
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(c) DEFINITION
OF QUALIFIED ALIEN.—Section
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431(b)(8) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1641(b)(8)) is amended
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by striking ‘‘, but only with respect to the designated Fed-
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eral program defined in section 402(b)(3)(C) (relating to
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the Medicaid program)’’.
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Æ
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