Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60

§18501 Exclusion of Payments From State Eugenics Compensation Programs From Consideration in Determining Eligibility For, or the Amount Of, Federal Public Benefits

Title 42 › Chapter 160— TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PAYMENTS IN EUGENICS COMPENSATION › § 18501

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Money paid by a state program that compensates people who were sterilized must not be counted as income or assets when deciding if someone is eligible for, or how much they get from, federal public benefits. Federal public benefits include federal grants, contracts, loans, licenses, and benefits like retirement, health, disability, housing, education, food aid, unemployment, and similar programs. A state eugenics compensation program is a state law program that pays people sterilized under state authority.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §18501

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, payments made under a State eugenics compensation program shall not be considered as income or resources in determining eligibility for, or the amount of, any Federal public benefit.

(b)For purposes of this section:

(1)The term “Federal public benefit” means—

(A)any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and

(B)any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States.

(2)The term “State eugenics compensation program” means a program established by State law that is intended to compensate individuals who were sterilized under the authority of the State.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 114–241, § 1, Oct. 7, 2016, 130 Stat. 976, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Treatment of Certain Payments in Eugenics Compensation Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 18501

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60