HLS 25RS-697 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 307
BY REPRESENTATIVE HENRY
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE: Requires individuals requesting public assistance who are not
United States citizens be reported to United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 46:233.4, relative to public assistance; to provide for eligibility for certain
3 public assistance programs; to prohibit certain individuals from receiving public
4 assistance; to establish reporting requirements to certain federal agencies; to require
5 an annual report; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 46:233.4 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 ยง233.4. Verification of citizenship of applicants for public benefits
9 A. Except as prohibited by federal law, a state agency or political
10 subdivision shall verify that each applicant who applies for federal, state, or local
11 public benefit is a person who has been recognized as a citizen of the United States
12 by birthright, naturalization, or any other method provided for under applicable
13 federal law or has satisfactory immigration status as a qualified alien as defined in
14 8 U.S.C. 1641(b).
15 B. For an applicant claiming United States citizenship or satisfactory
16 immigration status under 8 U.S.C. 1641(b), the state agency or political subdivision
17 shall make every reasonable effort to ascertain verification of the applicant's
18 citizenship or immigration status.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-697 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 307
1 C. Upon the termination of any reasonable opportunity period to verify
2 citizenship status or receipt of a final verification that indicates that the applicant is
3 not a United States citizen or lacks satisfactory immigration status and has entered
4 the United States without inspection or admission or remained beyond the expiration
5 of his authorized period of stay, the state agency or political subdivision shall:
6 (1) Refer the applicant's information, including unsatisfactory immigration
7 status, to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
8 (2) Terminate any recurring federal, state, or local public benefits as defined
9 in Subsection E of this Section.
10 D. A state agency or political subdivision that administers federal or state
11 public benefits shall report annually at the end of each fiscal year to the Senate
12 president, speaker of the House of Representatives, governor, and David R. Poynter
13 Legislative Research Library on the results of the citizenship verification
14 requirements of this Section. The report shall include but not be limited to the
15 number of individuals reported to United States Immigration and Customs
16 Enforcement and the number of individuals who had public assistance terminated in
17 accordance with this Section.
18 E. For the purposes of this Section, a federal, state, or local public benefit
19 shall include any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing,
20 postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other
21 similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual,
22 household, or family eligibility unit by an agency of the United States, this state, or
23 a political subdivision of this state or by appropriated funds of the United States, this
24 state, or a political subdivision of this state.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-697 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 307
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 307 Original 2025 Regular Session Henry
Abstract: Requires a state agency or political subdivision to report individuals who seek
public assistance and are not citizens of the U.S. to U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE).
Proposed law requires, unless otherwise prohibited by federal law, a state agency or political
subdivision shall verify whether an applicant, who applies for federal, state, or local public
benefits, is a citizen of the United States.
Proposed law requires a state agency or political subdivision to make reasonable efforts to
verify the applicant's citizenship or immigration status if an applicant is claiming U.S.
citizenship or a satisfactory immigration status under present law.
Proposed law provides that, upon the termination of any reasonable opportunity period to
verify citizenship status or receipt of a final verification that indicates that the applicant is
not a citizen or lacks satisfactory immigration status, the state agency or political subdivision
shall:
(1)Refer the applicant's information, including unsatisfactory immigration status, to
ICE.
(2)Terminate any recurring federal, state, or local public benefits.
Proposed law requires a state agency or political subdivision that administers federal or state
public benefits to submit a report annually at the end of each fiscal year to the Senate
president, speaker of the House of Representatives, the governor of La., and the David R.
Poynter Legislative Research Library on the results of the verification requirements
including the number of individuals reported to ICE and the number of individuals whose
benefits were terminated.
Proposed law clarifies what is considered as federal, state, or local public benefits as
provided for in proposed law.
(Adds R.S. 46:233.4)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.