# 119-hr-7213: Safeguarding Benefits for Americans Act of 2026 119-hr-7213, Safeguarding Benefits for Americans Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7213 - As of: 2026-09-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-7213 - Congress: 119 - Title: Safeguarding Benefits for Americans Act of 2026 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2026-01-22 - Sponsor: Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI) - Cosponsors: 4 - Policy area: Social Welfare - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-21 ## Summary **Require U.S. citizenship or nationality verification for federal assistance.** This bill would make most income- or resource-based federal benefits available only to people who both declare they are U.S. citizens or nationals and pass documentary and database checks run through the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. - Families and children: Households seeking benefits must file a written declaration under penalty of perjury and supply documents or face denial and appeal rights. Eligibility checks apply to determinations made on or after 1 year after enactment and no one may remain eligible past 2 years without meeting the new requirement. - Agencies and benefit providers: Federal agencies must use SSA, DHS, and the SAVE program to confirm names, Social Security numbers, and citizenship status and must create an appeals process. Entities that willfully and repeatedly give benefits to people who fail the requirement can be disqualified and added to the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities until recovery of benefits. - Specific household rules: A child can qualify if the child or a parent or guardian meets the requirement. Elderly residents under the Section 202 housing program and disabled residents in Section 811 housing must individually meet the citizenship requirement. ## Cosponsors (4) - Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10] (R-PA), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] (R-CO), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Limits federal benefits to citizens: cost, high. If enacted, you would be ineligible for any federal assistance benefit unless you are a U.S. citizen or national. This covers help for you or your household under means-tested programs, including parts of the Social Security Act. The rule applies to eligibility decisions made one year after enactme… - New ID checks and sworn forms: cost, high. If enacted, applicants and current recipients would have to sign a written declaration under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens or nationals. They would need to give documentary proof and a photo ID, and agencies would send names and Social Security numbers to SSA and DHS (including SAV… - New national rule and provider penalties: cost, high. If enacted, this section would generally become the main federal rule for citizenship eligibility one year after enactment, unless OMB says another law is stricter. The OMB Director could disqualify and add to the federal exclusion list any entity that willfully and repeatedly gives benefits to ine… - Deadlines, appeals, and continued eligibility: mixed, high. If enacted, the citizenship rules would apply to determinations and redeterminations made one year after enactment. No one could remain eligible more than two years after enactment unless they meet the citizenship requirement. Agencies must notify people if documents or confirmations are missing an… - Household rules and housing exceptions: mixed, medium. If enacted, a child would count as meeting the citizenship rule if the child or a parent or legal guardian meets it. For household-based benefits, other household members would be treated as meeting the rule if any treated household member meets it. But for Section 202 elderly housing and Section 8… ## Related bills - 119-hr-116: Stopping Border Surges Act - 119-hr-4448: Restoring Equal Opportunity Act - 119-hr-925: Dismantle DEI Act of 2025 - 119-hr-404: Hearing Protection Act - 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 - 119-hr-2126: FOCA Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-hr-7213 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7213) ## Related - [119-hr-116: Stopping Border Surges Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-116) - [119-hr-4448: Restoring Equal Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4448) - [119-hr-925: Dismantle DEI Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-925) - [119-hr-404: Hearing Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-404) - [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422) - [119-hr-2126: FOCA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2126) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7213 (as of 2026-09-21).