[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 792 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 792

 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 14, 2023

 Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Schatz) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Compact Impact Fairness Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF FEDERAL PUBLIC BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY FOR CITIZENS OF 
              FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and 
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(N) Exception for citizens of freely associated 
                states.--With respect to eligibility for benefits for 
                any specified Federal program, paragraph (1) shall not 
                apply to any individual who lawfully resides in the 
                United States in accordance with section 141 of the 
                Compacts of Free Association between the Government of 
                the United States and the Governments of the Federated 
                States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall 
                Islands, and the Republic of Palau, and who is a 
                citizen of one of those three nations.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(2)(G)--
                    (A) in the subparagraph heading, by striking 
                ``Medicaid exception for'' and inserting ``Exception 
                for''; and
                    (B) by striking ``the designated Federal program 
                defined in paragraph (3)(C) (relating to the Medicaid 
                program)'' and inserting ``any designated Federal 
                program''.
    (b) Exception to 5-Year Wait Requirement.--Section 403(b)(3) of 
such Act (8 U.S.C. 1613(b)(3)) is amended by striking ``, but only with 
respect to the designated Federal program defined in section 
402(b)(3)(C)''.
    (c) Definition of Qualified Alien.--Section 431(b)(8) of such Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1641(b)(8)) is amended by striking ``, but only with respect 
to the designated Federal program defined in section 402(b)(3)(C) 
(relating to the Medicaid program)''.
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