H.R. 1571House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 4:48 AM UTC

The Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023 amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act to let citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who are lawfully residing in the United States receive federal public benefits for which they otherwise qualify. The changes bring U.S. benefit rules into line with the Compacts of Free Association and affect eligible individuals from these three nations and the federal assistance programs they may use.

Key Provisions

Adds an exception so the eligibility restriction in §402(a)(2) does not apply to citizens of the three freely associated states who reside lawfully in the U.S. under the Compacts of Free Association.
Changes the Medicaid‑specific exception wording to apply to any designated federal program, not just Medicaid.
Eliminates the five‑year waiting period requirement for these citizens to receive the designated federal benefits.
Updates the definition of “qualified alien” to remove the previous Medicaid‑only limitation, extending the change to all designated federal programs.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare.

Work and Welfare Subcommittee

December 17, 2024

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 14, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

March 14, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

April 5, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare.

Work and Welfare Subcommittee

December 17, 2024

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 14, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1571

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 14, 2023

Mr. Case (for himself, Mr. Womack, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 to provide certain Federal public benefits to citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who are lawfully residing in the United States if they are otherwise qualified, consistent with section 141 of the Compacts of Free Association.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023.

Provision of Federal public benefit eligibility for citizens of freely associated States

(a)

In general

Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)(2), by adding at the end the following:

(N)

Exception for citizens of freely associated states

With respect to eligibility for benefits for any specified Federal program, paragraph (1) shall not apply to any individual who lawfully resides in the United States in accordance with section 141 of the Compacts of Free Association between the Government of the United States and the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, and who is a citizen of one of those three nations.

; and

(2)

in subsection (b)(2)(G)—

(A)

in the subparagraph heading, by striking MEDICAID EXCEPTION FOR and inserting EXCEPTION FOR; and

(B)

by striking the designated Federal program defined in paragraph (3)(C) (relating to the Medicaid program) and inserting any designated Federal program.

(b)

Exception to 5-Year wait requirement

Section 403(b)(3) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1613(b)(3)) is amended by striking , but only with respect to the designated Federal program defined in section 402(b)(3)(C).

(c)

Definition of qualified alien

Section 431(b)(8) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1641(b)(8)) is amended by striking , but only with respect to the designated Federal program defined in section 402(b)(3)(C) (relating to the Medicaid program).