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Senate approves bill requiring state agencies to verify citizenship for certain benefits, with reporting to federal authorities
Summary
The Louisiana Senate passed House Bill 307, requiring state agencies to verify citizenship for some public assistance programs and to report ineligible applicants; supporters said the bill standardizes eligibility checks, while critics raised concerns about workload for agency staff and possible referrals to federal immigration authorities.
The Louisiana Senate on the floor passed House Bill 307 on a 27-10 vote, approving a measure that requires state agencies to verify applicants' citizenship when determining eligibility for certain public assistance programs and to report ineligible applicants to federal immigration authorities.
Senator Patrick Miguez, the bill sponsor on the floor, told colleagues the bill "requires state agencies, unless prohibited by federal law, to verify citizenship when referring to benefits and requires that information to be reported." He said agencies would record eligibility results and report totals back to the legislature and executive branch.
Supporters framed the bill as a standardization of eligibility checks across programs. The bill directs…
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