H.R. 6987: Public Charge Clarification Act of 2026

Public Charge Clarification Act of 2026

This bill codifies the Public Charge framework created by the first Trump Administration in 2018 via regulation. It defines a public charge as: "an alien who receives one or more public benefits (as defined in subparagraph (C)) for more than 12 months in the aggregate within any 36-month period (such that, for instance, receipt of two benefits in one month counts as two months)." It also defines "public benefits" for the purpose of determining public charge to mean: "any Federal, State, local, or tribal cash assistance for income maintenance, supplemental nutrition assistance, housing assistance, non-emergency medical assistance, or other similar benefits, including all monetizable and non-monetizable benefits."