I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 756 
To restrict certain Federal assistance benefits to individuals verified to be 
citizens of the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 3, 2021 
Mr. GROTHMAN (for himself, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. POSEY, and Mrs. LESKO) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Over-
sight and 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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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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(4) NATIONAL DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘national’’ means a national of the United 
States (as defined in section 101(a)(22) of the Im-
migration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(22)). 
(c) ADDITIONAL RULES; ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) TREATMENT
OF
CERTAIN
FAMILIES
AND 
HOUSEHOLDS.—In the case of a Federal assistance 
benefit which is made available based on— 
(A) eligibility for a child, the child shall be 
treated as meeting the citizenship requirement 
of subsection (b)(1) if the child, or a parent or 
legal guardian of the child, meets the require-
ment; and 
(B) eligibility for a household or other 
family unit, the members of the household or 
family unit shall be treated as meeting the citi-
zenship requirement if any individual who is 
treated as a member of the household or family 
unit meets the requirement, except that— 
(i) if the program under which the 
benefit is furnished is the program for sup-
portive housing for the elderly under sec-
tion 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 
U.S.C. 1701q), the citizenship requirement 
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must be met by an elderly individual who 
is a member of the household; and 
(ii) if the program under which the 
benefit is furnished is the program for sup-
portive housing for persons with disabilities 
under section 811 of the Cranston-Gon-
zalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 
U.S.C. 8013), the citizenship requirement 
must be met by a disabled individual who 
is a member of the household. 
(2) SATISFACTION OF REQUIREMENT.—Once an 
individual meets the citizenship requirement of sub-
section (b)(1) with respect to a Federal assistance 
benefit, the individual shall be treated as continuing 
to meet the requirement for the benefit so long as 
the individual otherwise remains continuously eligi-
ble for the benefit. 
(3) GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Of-
fice of Management and Budget may issue such 
regulations and guidance as may be required to 
carry out this section. 
(B) SPECIFICATIONS
OF
DECLARATION 
FORM AND VERIFICATION PROCESS.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of 
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this Act, the Director shall specify the form and 
manner of the declaration of citizenship form 
under subsection (b)(2) and the method for 
verifying citizenship to be used under sub-
section (b)(3) consistent with the following: 
(i) The declaration form shall be 
based on the declaration form used for 
purposes of section 1137(d)(1)(A) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b– 
7(d)(1)(A)). 
(ii) The verification process described 
in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of sub-
section (b)(3) shall be based on the process 
used for purposes of paragraphs (1) and 
(2) of section 1902(ee) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(ee)). 
(4) SUPERSEDING
OTHER
CITIZENSHIP-RE-
LATED
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS.—The provi-
sions of this section supersede any provisions of law 
relating to the eligibility for Federal assistance bene-
fits of individuals based on citizenship, nationality, 
or immigration status, unless the Director of the Of-
fice of Management and Budget determines that the 
provisions of the law are more restrictive than the 
requirements of this section. 
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(d) DISQUALIFICATION
FOR
WILLFUL
AND
RE-
PEATED NONCOMPLIANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget determines that an enti-
ty providing a Federal assistance benefit has will-
fully and repeatedly furnished the benefit to individ-
uals who have not met the citizenship requirement 
of subsection (b)(1) or has willfully and repeatedly 
failed to submit information as required under sub-
paragraph (B)(i) or (C)(i) of subsection (b)(3), the 
entity is disqualified from furnishing the benefit, 
and the Director shall add the name of the entity to 
the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities, until the 
Director determines that any such benefit furnished 
to any such individual has been recovered. 
(2) MONITORING
OF
PROGRAMS
BY
THE
IN-
SPECTORS GENERAL.—The Inspector General for the 
respective Federal Department or agency with pri-
mary responsibility for a Federal assistance program 
shall provide for regular reports on compliance of 
the entities furnishing benefits under the program in 
applying subsection (a). 
(e) FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘Federal assistance program’’— 
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