Committee advances bill to require citizenship verification before taxpayer-funded benefits

A House committee on Wednesday moved House Bill 17-10 to Finance, Ways and Means after a 17-6 roll-call vote. The bill, as explained by its sponsor, would require Tennessee state and local governments to verify U.S. citizenship or lawful presence before providing taxpayer-funded benefits to applicants aged 18 and older, with exemptions the sponsor said were included for emergencies.

Retired public-health physician John Warkentin testified against the measure, telling the committee, “I oppose house bill 17 10 for several reasons” and warning it would target immigrants, codify discrimination in health care and undermine public-trust in local health departments. Using tuberculosis as an example, Warkentin said the bill could lead to incomplete treatment for noncitizen patients and put communities at risk because communicable diseases do not respect immigration status.

Committee members questioned how the bill would interact with existing federal protections and emergency-care obligations. Representative Powell pressed whether emergency care and routine vaccinations would remain accessible; the sponsor repeatedly answered that emergency exemptions were included and that federal law, where applicable, would control. The bill’s fiscal implications also drew scrutiny: members asked whether the fiscal note accounted for training, data management and potential staff turnover in local health departments.

The clerk announced the vote tally as 17 ayes and 6 nos, and the committee moved the bill to Finance, Ways and Means.

Votes and next steps: House Bill 17-10 advanced to Finance, Ways and Means by voice and roll call (tally reported 17–6).