Sponsors (16)
The bill protects immigrant access to benefits and reduces chilling effects on health and social services by blocking DHS implementation and funding of a public‑charge rule, but it leaves legal and administrative uncertainty, may not by itself produce binding protections, and could raise federal costs or litigation risk.
Immigrants would be less likely to face application denials or heightened screening under DHS's 2026 public‑charge rule, preserving access to green cards and visas.
Immigrant families (including low‑income households) would be less likely to avoid health, food, and housing benefits due to immigration fears, supporting public health and reducing strain on hospitals and local services.
State and local governments and service providers would avoid economic and service burdens the public‑charge rule could cause, and DHS would be barred from spending federal funds to administer the rule, reducing administrative costs for the department.
The funding prohibition and related language create legal and administrative uncertainty for DHS and visa adjudicators because a rule published in the Federal Register would be unenforceable without funding, complicating immigration processing.
The sense of Congress statement is non‑binding and does not itself change DHS rules or legal eligibility for benefits, so immigrants and service providers may have expectations for immediate protections that require separate legislative or administrative action.
Blocking consideration of public‑benefit use in admissions could increase federal benefit program costs over time, shifting costs to taxpayers and federal programs.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits use of any federal funds, including fees, to implement or enforce DHS's July 20, 2026 "Public Charge" rule or related guidance.
Official title: Provide that no Federal funds may be used to carry out the final rule of the Department of Homeland Security entitled "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility", and for other purposes.
Introduced August 6, 2026 by Mazie Hirono · Last progress August 6, 2026
Blocks federal funds from being used to implement, enforce, administer, or carry out the Department of Homeland Security rule titled "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility" (91 Fed. Reg. 45324, July 20, 2026) and any guidance or sub-regulatory policy that implements or clarifies that rule. It also states Congress's view that the rule would harm immigrants, families, service providers, and local economies by deterring use of food, health, and housing assistance. The law consists of a short title, a congressional statement of findings and concerns about the public charge rule, and a funding prohibition that prevents federal funds and fees from being used for that rule in any fiscal year. No other programs are authorized or created by the text.