HCS HB 1626 -- PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

SPONSOR:  Nolte (Emery)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Immigration by a vote of 8 to 4 with 1 present.

This substitute prohibits persons who are not citizens or
permanent residents of the United States or who do not possess
lawful immigration status from receiving state or local public
assistance unless it is mandated under federal law.  Documentary
evidence accepted by the Department of Revenue for obtaining a
driver's license will suffice as proof of citizenship, permanent
residency, or lawful immigration status when applying for
benefits.  Individuals can temporarily receive state or local
public assistance for up to 90 days while obtaining the necessary
documentation or indefinitely if the applicant provides a copy of
a completed birth certificate application which is pending.
Nonprofit organizations regulated by the Internal Revenue Service
are not required to enforce these restrictions, nor are they
prohibited from providing aid.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and
FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that many of the bill's provisions
are already in federal law, and the bill simply creates a
disincentive for illegal aliens to remain in the country.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Emery; Missouri
Family Network; Missouri Eagle Forum; and Missourians Against
Illegal Immigration.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that they are concerned
about unintended consequences for legal and illegal aliens and
whether the bill will withstand a constitutional challenge.  It
is bad policy to turn state employees into immigration officers.
There was no documented evidence presented that illegal aliens
were receiving public benefits in Missouri.

Testifying against the bill were American Civil Liberties Union
of Eastern Missouri; Missouri Catholic Conference; Catholic
Charities Archdiocese of St. Louis; Lynda Callon, Westside
Community Action Network Center; Clark Brown, Missouri Immigrant
and Refugee Advocates; and Service Employees International Union,
Missouri/Kansas State Council.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say that they are waiting
to hear from the federal government as to whether the bill will
make the state noncompliant with federal law and whether
employment security benefits should be exempted.  It would make
it clearer if nonprofit organizations are not included in the
bill.

Testifying on the bill were Department of Labor and Industrial
Relations; Jewish Federations of St. Louis; and Missouri
Association for Community Action.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm