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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1707H.P. 1142House of Representatives, April 17, 2025
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
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GREENWOOD of Wales.
Cosponsored by Senator STEWART of Aroostook and
Representatives: DRINKWATER of Milford, DUCHARME of Madison, FAULKINGHAM of
Winter Harbor, JAVNER of Chester, RUDNICKI of Fairfield, SMITH of Palermo,
SOBOLESKI of Phillips, THORNE of Carmel. Page 1 - 132LR1808(01)
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2 is enacted to read:
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4 Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the State may not provide any
5 form of financial assistance to an individual who is not a citizen of the United States. This
6 section does not apply to the provision of general purpose aid for local schools distributed
7 in accordance with Title 20-A, chapter 606-B.
8 as amended by PL 2015, c. 324, ยง1, is further
9 amended to read:
10 citizen of the United States who
11 is qualified to receive general assistance from a municipality according to standards of
12 eligibility determined by the municipal officers whether or not that person has applied for
13 general assistance. "Eligible person" does not include a person who is a fugitive from
14 justice as defined in Title 15, section 201, subsection 4. Beginning July 1, 2015, in
15 accordance with 8 United States Code, Section 1621(d), "eligible person" means a person
16 who is lawfully present in the United States or who is pursuing a lawful process to apply
17 for immigration relief, except that assistance for such a person may not exceed 24 months.
18 is enacted to read:
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20 Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a municipality that has in effect
21 any ordinance, policy or procedure, formal or informal, in contravention of the federal
22 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Section 642,
23 subsection (a) or (b) or that prohibits, formally or informally, a local law enforcement
24 officer from gathering information regarding the lawful or unlawful citizenship or
25 immigration status of any individual is ineligible for any form of financial assistance from
26 the State, including, but not limited to, state-municipal revenue sharing pursuant to section
27 5681 and funding for municipal general assistance pursuant to Title 22, chapter 1161.
28 is enacted to read:
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30 Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a municipality may not provide
31 any form of financial assistance to an individual who is not a citizen of the United States.
32 This section does not apply to the provision of general purpose aid for local schools
33 distributed in accordance with Title 20-A, chapter 606-B.
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35 This bill requires an individual to be a citizen of the United States in order to receive
36 any form of financial assistance from the State or a municipality, except for funding for
37 general purpose aid for education. The bill also provides that a municipality is ineligible
38 to receive municipal general assistance and state-municipal revenue sharing if that
39 municipality prohibits or restricts, formally or informally, the exchange of information with
40 federal immigration authorities or any other federal, state or local government entity
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40 Page 2 - 132LR1808(01)
41 regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual or the
42 maintenance of such information.
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