H.R. 746: America First Act

America First Act

• Section 2 – PRWORA Requirements
  • Amends PRWORA to exclude illegal aliens, asylees, parolees, and those withheld from deportation from receiving welfare, including SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, CHIP, and certain housing benefits. This significantly reduces eligibility for most federal benefits for illegal aliens who have been wrongfully paroled into the United States by the Biden-Harris administration.
• Section 3 – Head Start
  • Removes Head Start eligibility from illegal aliens, asylees, parolees, temporary protected status (TPS) recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those withheld from deportation. 
• Section 4 – Federal Health Care Benefits
  • Eliminates Medicare eligibility and Medicaid subsidies for illegal aliens, asylees, parolees, TPS recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those with deportation withheld. 
  • Prohibits Federally Qualified Health Centers from providing non-emergency care to illegal aliens.
• Section 5 – Housing
  • Restricts federal housing assistance to only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and would make asylees, parolees, TPS recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those withheld from deportation ineligible for federal housing programs.
  • Prohibits illegal aliens, asylees, parolees, TPS recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those withheld from deportation. from living in a housing unit financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. 

• Section 6 – Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Requires all taxpayers who claim the EITC, CTC, and/or the $500 “other dependent” tax credit to have a valid Social Security Number in order to claim either credit.
• Section 7 – FEMA Reform
  • Eliminates the Shelter and Service Program (SSP), which has funneled $640 million to sheltering illegal aliens in FY24 and ensures that FEMA disaster funds are only provided to American citizens and lawful permanent residents.
• Section 8 – FAFSA Eligibility
  • Removes FAFSA eligibility for non-citizens.

• Section 9 – ESEA Funding for Sanctuary Jurisdictions

Restricts ESEA funding for sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration authorities.

• Section 10 – Limitations on Services for Haitian Immigrants
  • Removes the special benefit designation for Haitian entrants under PRWORA.
• Section 11 – Limitations on Reasonable Opportunity Periods (ROPs) for Medicaid Enrollment
  • Requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship before receiving Medicaid benefits.
  • Limits the number of ROPs for individuals unable to provide proof of citizenship when applying for Medicaid.
• Section 12 – Verification of Citizenship for WIC and School Meal Programs
  • Removes eligibility for WIC and School Meal Programs for illegal aliens, asylees, parolees, TPS recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those withheld from deportation.
• Section 13 – Restrictions on the Use of Community Development Block Grants
  • Restricts Community Development Block Grant Program recipients from using funds to provide illegal aliens, asylees, parolees, TPS recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those withheld from deportation with monetary contributions or in-kind goods or services.
  • Restricts 501(c)(3) organizations from using federal grant funding, appropriated funding, or any other federal funding source to provide illegal aliens, parolees, TPS recipients, deferred action or enforcement recipients, and those withheld from deportation with monetary contributions or in-kind goods or services.
• Section 14 – Regulations and Guidance
  • Directs the head of each appropriate agency to promulgate necessary guidance and rulemaking to carry out the provisions of the Act.