U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) recently introduced legislation aimed at removing barriers to federal public benefits for immigrants.
The Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration (LIFT the BAR) Act eliminates the current five-year waiting period for access to Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
The bill, also introduced by U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), would restore access to critical aid for green card holders, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, individuals granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and other lawfully present immigrants.
“Immigrants play integral roles in our communities and should not have to endure an arbitrary waiting period just to access essential benefits,” Hirono said on her website. “For more than 25 years, unjust policies have prevented millions of lawfully present immigrants from accessing critical services and programs, including quality health care, food and housing assistance, economic support and more.”
The five-year waiting period was created in 1996 when Congress passed the restrictive legislation. The arbitrary waiting period has prevented immigrants with lawful status from accessing critical benefits and services. The lack of access to critical programs, quality health care and affordable housing has made immigrants significantly more likely to be uninsured and at a higher risk for adverse health and financial consequences.
“As we work to support immigrant communities in Hawaii and across the country, the LIFT the BAR Act will eliminate harmful barriers and allow immigrants and their families to lead healthier, safer and more secure lives,” Hirono said, according to her website.
According to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in 2024 non-elderly immigrants will account for an estimated 8% of the population, yet they make up 31% of the non-elderly uninsured population.
Hirono's website said the LIFT the BAR Act would: reinstate access to federal public benefits for lawfully present immigrants, including DACA recipients, individuals granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and other federally authorized noncitizens residing in the U.S.; remove the five-year bar for Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF and SSI; and enable immigrants with sponsors to access services based on the income and resources that are actually available to them. The bill would also remove state authority to impose additional restrictions on qualified immigrants and allow states and localities to offer benefits to immigrants using their funds.
The bill was cosponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).