[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1416 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1416

 To amend title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 restricting welfare and public benefits for 
aliens to provide an exception to limited eligibility for SSI and food 
 stamps programs for permanent resident aliens who are applicants for 
                            naturalization.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 1997

 Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was 
  referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
Committee on 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 title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 restricting welfare and public benefits for 
aliens to provide an exception to limited eligibility for SSI and food 
 stamps programs for permanent resident aliens who are applicants for 
                            naturalization.

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

SECTION 1. EXCEPTION TO LIMITED ELIGIBILITY FOR SSI AND FOOD STAMPS FOR 
              PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS WHO ARE APPLICANTS FOR 
              NATURALIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 402(a)(2) of the Personal Responsibility 
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(2)) 
is amended by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(E) Applicants for naturalization currently 
                receiving ssi.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to an 
                alien who--
                            ``(i) is receiving benefits under the 
                        program described in paragraph (3)(A) on the 
                        date of the enactment of this Act;
                            ``(ii) is lawfully admitted to the United 
                        States for permanent residence under the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act;
                            ``(iii) has fulfilled the residency 
                        requirement for naturalization under the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act; and
                            ``(iv) has filed a valid application for 
                        naturalization under the Immigration and 
                        Nationality Act which is active and pending or 
                        has been granted.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall be 
effective as if included in the enactment of title IV of the Personal 
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

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