Securing Healthcare and Income Entitlements for Lawfully Domiciled Citizens (SHIELD Citizens) Act
Sponsored By: Representative Fuller, Clay [R-GA-14]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would restrict eligibility for many federal welfare programs to United States citizens. It would change who counts as a qualifying person and apply that standard across major safety-net programs.
Show full summary
- Families with U.S. citizen members would face a citizen-only eligibility test for a long list of programs named in the bill, including TANF, SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, federal housing assistance, WIC, and LIHEAP. The definition covers those programs and any successor programs.
- Noncitizen residents who previously qualified as "qualified aliens" could lose access to those federal welfare programs. The bill defines "citizen" to mean a U.S. citizen or national as in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a).
- Federal agencies could designate other federally funded cash, food, housing, medical, or energy assistance as a "Federal welfare program" and must apply the new citizen standard. The bill preserves limited exemptions for emergency medical treatment, short-term in-kind disaster relief, immunizations and communicable disease treatment, and short-term community services like soup kitchens and shelter.
*Would take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year beginning at least 180 days after enactment, and current qualified noncitizen recipients could remain eligible for up to 180 days to allow redetermination or an orderly transition.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Limit federal welfare to citizens
If enacted, the bill would change law so only U.S. citizens and nationals (the INA section 101(a) definition) could get listed Federal welfare programs. It would replace references to "qualified alien" with the new "citizen" definition for these programs. The bill lists TANF, SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, federal housing (including Section 8), WIC, and LIHEAP and allows agencies to add successor or other federal cash, food, housing, medical, or energy assistance programs. Noncitizens who previously could get these benefits would generally lose eligibility under the new rule.
Timing and 180‑day transition rules
If enacted, the bill would take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year that begins at least 180 days after enactment. People who, the day before that effective date, were "qualified aliens" lawfully receiving Federal welfare would be able to keep benefits for up to 180 days after the effective date. That 180‑day window would be for redetermination or an orderly transition off the program.
Preserve emergency and noncovered help
If enacted, the bill would say it does not change narrow exceptions that let noncitizens get emergency medical treatment, short-term in-kind disaster relief, immunizations and treatment for communicable disease symptoms, or in-kind community services like soup kitchens, crisis counseling, and short-term shelter. The bill would also confirm that programs not defined as Federal welfare (for example Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment benefits) would stay governed by current law. These narrow protections would remain even if broader welfare eligibility is limited to citizens.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Fuller, Clay [R-GA-14]
GA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
GA • R
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7]
GA • R
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]
MI • R
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12]
GA • R
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7]
SC • R
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11]
GA • R
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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