[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 666 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 666

       To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 relating to welfare and public benefits for 
                                aliens.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 1997

   Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself and Mr. Diaz-Balart) 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 the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 relating to welfare and public benefits for 
                                aliens.

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

SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK 
              OPPORTUNITY RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996 RELATING TO 
              WELFARE AND PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR ALIENS.

    (a) Exception to Limited Eligibility for SSI and Food Stamps for 
Certain Permanent Resident Aliens Who Are Unable Because of Physical or 
Developmental Disability or Mental Impairment to Naturalize.--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 adding 
after subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E) Certain disabled and impaired aliens 
                otherwise eligible for naturalization.--Paragraph (1) 
                shall not apply to an alien who--
                            ``(i) is lawfully admitted to the United 
                        States for permanent residence under the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act; and
                            ``(ii) meets the residence requirements for 
                        naturalization under section 316 of the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act, but cannot 
                        fulfill other requirements of the Immigration 
                        and Nationality Act for naturalization 
                        (including requirements under sections 312 and 
                        337 of such Act) because the alien is unable 
                        due to physical or developmental disability or 
                        mental impairment to comply with such 
                        requirements.''.
    (b) Exception to Limited Eligibility for SSI and Food Stamps for 
Certain Permanent Resident Aliens Who Are Applicants for 
Naturalization.--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 adding after subparagraph (E) (as added by subsection (a)) 
the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(F) Permanent resident aliens who are applicants 
                for naturalization.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to 
                an alien who--
                            ``(i) is lawfully admitted to the United 
                        States for permanent residence under the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act;
                            ``(ii) meets the residence requirements for 
                        naturalization under section 316 of the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act;
                            ``(iii) is not ineligible for 
                        naturalization under the Immigration and 
                        Nationality Act; and
                            ``(iv) has an application pending for 
                        naturalization under the Immigration and 
                        Nationality Act which has not been denied.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
shall be effective as if included in the enactment of title IV of the 
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
1996.
                                 <all>