July 14, 2026
Mr. Fuller (for himself, Mr. Carter of Georgia, and Mr. McCormick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Education and Workforce, and 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
To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to restrict eligibility for Federal welfare programs to citizens of the United States, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Securing Healthcare and Income Entitlements for Lawfully Domiciled Citizens (SHIELD Citizens) Act
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Section 400 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, signed into law by Bill Clinton, declares it a policy of the United States that noncitizens should not depend on public resources to meet their needs, and that the availability of public benefits should not constitute an incentive for immigration to the United States.
(2)
Notwithstanding that policy, there are several areas where welfare benefits are made available to noncitizens.
(3)
Congress intends by this Act to close that eligibility to all noncitizens, so that Federal welfare programs are available only to citizens of the United States.
Sec. 3. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Federal welfare program
The term Federal welfare program
means any of the following, and any successor program:
(A)
The temporary assistance for needy families program under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
(B)
The supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
(C)
The supplemental security income program under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.).
(D)
The Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
(E)
Federal housing assistance, including under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) and other federally funded public or assisted housing programs.
(F)
The special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
(G)
The low-income home energy assistance program under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.).
(H)
Any other federally funded cash, food, housing, medical, or energy assistance program for individuals or households that the head of the administering agency designates by regulation as a Federal welfare program
for purposes of this Act.
(2) Citizen
The term citizen
means a citizen or national of the United States, as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
Sec. 4. Citizenship requirement for Federal welfare programs
(a) In general
Section 401 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611) is amended—
(1)
in the section heading, by striking aliens who are not qualified aliens
and inserting individuals who are not citizens
; and
(2)
Section 401(b) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1611(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (1) and redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively.
(b) Conforming amendment
Section 402 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1612) is amended by striking qualified alien
each place it appears in a provision relating to a Federal welfare program (as defined in section 3(1) of this Act) and inserting citizen (as defined in section 3(2) of the Federal Welfare Citizenship Requirement Act of 2026)
.
(c) Rule of construction
Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect—
(1)
the exceptions preserved in section 401(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as redesignated by subsection (a), for emergency medical treatment, short-term in-kind disaster relief, immunizations and treatment of communicable disease symptoms, and in-kind community services such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling, and short-term shelter; or
(2)
eligibility for a program not defined as a Federal welfare program under section 3(1), including the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance programs under title II of the Social Security Act, Medicare under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, and unemployment compensation, which remain governed by existing law.
Sec. 5. Effective date; transition
(a) Effective date
This Act and the amendments made by this Act take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year that begins at least 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Transition for current recipients
An individual who, as of the day before the effective date under subsection (a), is a qualified alien (as defined in section 431 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as in effect on the day before that date) lawfully receiving benefits under a Federal welfare program shall remain eligible for such benefits for not more than 180 days after the effective date, to allow for redetermination or orderly transition off the program.