II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1504 

To restore Medicaid eligibility for citizens of the Freely Associated States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2011 

Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, and Mr. BINGAMAN) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To restore Medicaid eligibility for citizens of the Freely 

Associated States. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicaid Restoration 

5 for Citizens of Freely Associated States Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR CITIZENS OF FREELY 

7 ASSOCIATED STATES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 402(b)(2) of the Personal 

9 Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act 

10 of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(b)(2)) is amended by adding at 

11 the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(G) MEDICAID EXCEPTION FOR CITIZENS

2 OF FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.—With respect 

3 to eligibility for benefits for the program de4 fined in paragraph (3)(C) (relating to med5 icaid), paragraph (1) shall not apply to any in6 dividual who lawfully resides in the United 

7 States (including territories and possessions of 

8 the United States) in accordance with— 

9 ‘‘(i) section 141 of the Compact of 

10 Free Association between the Government 

11 of the United States and the Government 

12 of the Federated States of Micronesia, ap13 proved by Congress in the Compact of 

14 Free Association Amendments Act of 

15 2003; 

16 ‘‘(ii) section 141 of the Compact of 

17 Free Association between the Government 

18 of the United States and the Government 

19 of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 

20 approved by Congress in the Compact of 

21 Free Association Amendments Act of 

22 2003; or 

23 ‘‘(iii) section 141 of the Compact of 

24 Free Association between the Government 

25 of the United States and the Government 


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1 of Palau, approved by Congress in Public 

2 Law 99–658 (100 Stat. 3672).’’. 

3 (b) EXCEPTION TO 5-YEAR LIMITED ELIGIBILITY.— 

4 Section 403(d) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1613(d)) is amend5 ed— 

6 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

7 end; 

8 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 

9 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

10 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

11 paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(3) an individual described in section 

13 402(b)(2)(G), but only with respect to the des14 ignated Federal program defined in section 

15 402(b)(3)(C).’’. 

16 (c) DEFINITION OF QUALIFIED ALIEN.—Section 

17 431(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Oppor18 tunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1641(b)) is 

19 amended— 

20 (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

21 end; 

22 (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at 

23 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

24 (3) by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(8) an individual who lawfully resides in the 

2 United States (including territories and possessions 

3 of the United States) in accordance with a Compact 

4 of Free Association referred to in section 

5 402(b)(2)(G).’’. 

6 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1108 of 

7 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (f), in the matter preceding 

9 paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘subsection (g)’’ and in10 serting ‘‘subsections (g) and (h)’’; and 

11 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(h) The limitations of subsections (f) and (g) shall 

13 not apply with respect to medical assistance provided to 

14 an individual described in section 431(b)(8) of the Per15 sonal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 

16 Act of 1996.’’. 

17 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

18 this section take effect on the date of enactment of this 

19 Act and apply to benefits for items and services furnished 

20 on or after that date. 

Æ 


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