I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6989 
To restrict certain Federal assistance benefits to individuals verified to be 
citizens of the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 
Mr. GROTHMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To restrict certain Federal assistance benefits to individuals 
verified to be citizens of the United States. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. RESTRICTING CERTAIN FEDERAL ASSISTANCE 
BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS VERIFIED TO BE 
CITIZENS. 
(a) RESTRICTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an individual is not eligible for a 
Federal assistance benefit (as defined in paragraph 
(2) of this subsection) unless the individual meets 
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the citizenship requirement specified in subsection 
(b)(1). 
(2) FEDERAL ASSISTANCE BENEFIT.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘Federal assistance benefit’’ 
means, with respect to an individual, assistance fur-
nished to the individual (or to the household, family, 
or other similar unit that includes the individual) 
under any Federal assistance program (as defined in 
subsection (e)), including any benefit furnished 
under a grant or contract made pursuant to any 
such program, but does not include an entity receiv-
ing a grant or contract under such a program if the 
grant or contract is used to furnish assistance other 
than to the entity receiving the grant or contract. 
(b) CITIZENSHIP, ATTESTATION, AND CITIZENSHIP 
VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT.—The citizen-
ship requirement specified in this paragraph, with 
respect to an individual, is that the individual must 
meet— 
(A) the attestation requirement of para-
graph (2); and 
(B) the citizenship verification requirement 
of paragraph (3). 
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(2) ATTESTATION
REQUIREMENT.—An indi-
vidual meets the attestation requirement of this 
paragraph for a Federal assistance benefit if the in-
dividual has filed, in connection with the application 
for the benefit (or, in the case of an individual who 
is a recipient of the benefit, filed with the provider 
of the benefit), a declaration in writing (under pen-
alty of perjury and in a form and manner specified 
under subsection (c)(3)) that the individual is a cit-
izen or national of the United States. 
(3) 
CITIZENSHIP
VERIFICATION
REQUIRE-
MENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An individual meets the 
citizenship verification requirement of this para-
graph— 
(i) in connection with an application 
for a Federal assistance benefit, if the in-
dividual— 
(I) furnishes in connection with 
the application satisfactory documen-
tary evidence (as defined in section 
1903(x)(3) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396b(x)(3)) of United 
States citizenship or nationality; 
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(II) furnishes in connection with 
the application a photographic iden-
tity document described in section 
274A(b)(1)(D) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act; and 
(III) furnishes in connection with 
the application the individual’s name 
and social security account number 
and has the name and number and 
citizenship or nationality status con-
firmed in accordance with subpara-
graphs (B)(ii) and (C)(ii) as being 
consistent with information in the 
records maintained by the Commis-
sioner of Social Security or the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, respec-
tively; or 
(ii) in the case of a recipient of a Fed-
eral assistance benefit, if the individual 
furnishes to the provider of the benefit the 
documentary evidence and other informa-
tion described in clause (i), and has the in-
dividual’s name and social security account 
number and social security number and 
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citizenship or nationality status confirmed 
as described in clause (i)(III). 
(B) CONFIRMATION THROUGH SOCIAL SE-
CURITY.— 
(i) TRANSMITTAL OF SSN TO SSA.— 
An entity that is furnished a name, social 
security account number, and other iden-
tity information for an individual under 
subparagraph (A) shall submit the name 
and number to the Commissioner of Social 
Security for confirmation under clause (ii) 
of this subparagraph. 
(ii) 
CONFIRMATION
OR
NONCON-
FIRMATION
BY
SSA.—Upon receipt of a 
submittal under clause (i) from an entity, 
the Commissioner shall compare the infor-
mation submitted with the information in 
the records maintained by the Commis-
sioner and transmit to the entity either a 
confirmation or nonconfirmation as to 
whether the number submitted is valid and 
whether the information in the Social Se-
curity Administration indicates that the in-
dividual is a citizen or national of the 
United States. 
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(C) CONFIRMATION THROUGH DHS.— 
(i) TRANSMITTAL TO DHS.—An entity 
that is furnished a name and social secu-
rity account number and other identity in-
formation for an individual under subpara-
graph (A) of this paragraph shall submit 
the name and number and such other iden-
tifying information as the Director may re-
quire under subsection (c)(3)(B) respecting 
the individual to the Secretary of Home-
land Security for confirmation under 
clause (ii) of this subparagraph. 
(ii) REVIEW AND CONFIRMATION OR 
NONCONFIRMATION
BY
DHS.—Upon re-
ceipt of a submittal under clause (i) from 
an entity, the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall transmit to the entity either a 
confirmation or nonconfirmation as to 
whether the information in the records of 
the Department of Homeland Security in-
dicates that the individual is a citizen or 
national of the United States. 
(D) VERIFICATION
THROUGH
SAVE
PRO-
GRAM.—An entity that is furnished a name and 
social security account number and other iden-
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tity information for an individual under sub-
paragraph (A) shall verify that the individual is 
not included as a noncitizen in the Systematic 
Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) 
Program of the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity. 
(E) NOTICE.—In the case of an individual 
who does not provide the documentary evidence 
referred to in subparagraph (A) or who does 
not receive confirmation of United States citi-
zenship or nationality under subparagraph 
(B)(ii) or (C)(ii), the entity processing the ap-
plication for, or providing, the Federal assist-
ance benefit involved shall notify the individual 
of the individual’s ineligibility under this section 
with respect to the benefit, and of the oppor-
tunity of the individual to appeal the ineligi-
bility determination. 
(F) APPEALS PROCESS.—The head of any 
department or agency of the Federal Govern-
ment who is administering a Federal benefit 
program shall provide a process through which 
an individual may appeal a determination made 
under this Act that an individual is ineligible 
for a Federal assistance benefit. 
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