An Act To Require A Person To Be A United States Citizen To Receive State Or Local Financial Assistance And To Ensure Municipal Compliance With Federal Immigration Laws

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Gary Drinkwater and 9 co-sponsors

Requires state/local financial aid only for lawfully present individuals and conditions municipal funding on IRIRA compliance, risking loss of aid for noncompliant towns.

Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

#citizens #eligibility #generalassistance

Overview

LD 1707 seeks to require that individuals receiving any form of state or local financial assistance be lawfully present in the United States (i.e., be US citizens or otherwise lawfully present). It also aims to align municipal practices with federal immigration laws by conditioning state funding on a municipality’s compliance with the federal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IRIRA), specifically 8 U.S.C. §642. The bill was introduced on April 17, 2025, and is currently listed as placed in Legislative Files (DEAD).

Key Provisions

Eligibility for assistance: An individual must be lawfully present in the United States to receive any form of financial assistance from the state or a municipality. The only exception is funding designated as general purpose aid for education.

Municipal compliance condition: A municipality that has in effect any ordinance, policy, or procedure that (a) contravenes IRIRA §642(a) or (b) or (b) or (b) or (a) or that prohibits a local law enforcement officer from gathering information about an individual’s citizenship or immigration status would be ineligible to receive any form of financial assistance from the State. This includes state-local revenue sharing and funding for municipal general assistance.

Fiscal impact note: The fiscal note indicates potential General Fund savings from reduced state-funded financial assistance if noncompliant municipalities lose eligibility for state funding. However, a precise dollar impact cannot be determined at this time.

Fiscal Impact

Source: Fiscal Note approved June 1, 2025.

Potential effect: Possible savings to the General Fund from limiting eligibility for state-funded programs to lawfully present individuals and from removing funding to noncompliant municipalities. The note cautions that the exact amount cannot be determined presently.

Affected Parties

Individuals applying for and receiving state or municipal financial assistance.

Municipalities (especially regarding local compliance policies and eligibility for state funding).

State government (General Fund finances and revenue sharing programs).

Local law enforcement regarding information gathering on immigration status (as linked to compliance requirements).

Legislative History and Status

Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services on April 17, 2025.

Committee actions include suggested and ordered print, work sessions, and votes.

Key votes culminated in the Majority Ought Not To Pass report and acceptance in concurrence on June 9, 2025 (Roll Call No. 400: Yeas 21, Nays 14).

Final status: Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) as of June 9, 2025, meaning the bill did not advance to enactment.

Notes

The exemption for general education funding suggests that school-related aid may remain eligible notwithstanding citizenship status.

The bill would have tied state and local funding eligibility to compliance with federal immigration enforcement, raising potential legal and administrative implications for municipalities and applicants alike.

Bill