[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 103 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4652-S4653]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. TILLIS (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Burr, Mr. Kaine, and 
        Mr. Warner):
  S. 1698. A bill to exclude payments from State eugenics compensation 
programs from consideration in determining eligibility for, or the 
amount of, Federal public benefits; read the first time.
  Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I am introducing the Treatment of Certain 
Payments in Eugenics Compensation Act, which would exclude payments

[[Page S4653]]

from State eugenics compensation programs from consideration in 
determining eligibility for, or the amount of, Federal public benefits. 
My colleagues, Senator Richard Burr, Senator Tom Carper, Senator Tim 
Kaine, and Senator Mark Warner have agreed to cosponsor the bill. In 
addition, Congressman Patrick McHenry will introduce a companion bill 
in the House of Representatives.
  A dark chapter in American history, eugenics and compulsory 
sterilization laws were implemented in the first decades of the 20th 
century by more than 30 States, leading to the forced sterilization of 
more than 60,000 disabled citizens. Only California and Virginia 
sterilized more citizens than North Carolina under these laws, though 
North Carolina was considered as having the most aggressive State-run 
program.
  In 2013, North Carolina became the first State in the country to 
enact legislation to compensate living victims of these forced-
sterilization laws. Most of the victims of the State-run eugenics 
program were poor and disadvantaged individuals and many remain so to 
this day. Therefore, concerns have been raised in both States that the 
compensation provided to the victims could unintentionally render them 
ineligible under Federal law to continue receiving Federal benefits 
that are subject to income thresholds. The bill introduced today would 
specifically exclude all payments from any State eugenics compensation 
program from being used in determining eligibility for, or the amount 
of, any public benefits from the Federal government.
  The implementation of State-run eugenics and sterilization programs 
represent a dark and shameful chapter in our Nation's history. While 
North Carolina and Virginia have recently created State compensation 
programs to help victims recover from horrible wrongs that have been 
perpetrated against them in the past, Federal laws can unintentionally 
punish victims who receive eugenics compensation by preventing them 
from receiving Federal benefits. This bipartisan legislation will 
ensure that will not happen.
  I wish to offer a special, much deserved thank you to my friend and 
former colleague, North Carolina State representative Larry Womble, who 
has provided extraordinary leadership in the decades-long fight for 
justice for the living victims of North Carolina's eugenics program.
                                 ______