S. 792Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023

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Updated January 20, 2026 at 4:46 AM UTC

The Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2023 changes the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act so that 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 can receive federal public benefits if they otherwise qualify. The amendment aligns U.S. benefit rules with the Compacts of Free Association, extending eligibility beyond current restrictions. It affects eligible individuals from those three nations and the federal programs that provide assistance.

Key Provisions

Adds an exception so that lawfully‑resident citizens of the three freely associated states are not barred from any designated federal public benefit program under the eligibility rules of PRWORA.
Changes the wording that previously limited the exception to Medicaid, expanding it to apply to any federal program.
Removes the five‑year waiting period for these citizens to receive benefits under the designated programs.
Updates the definition of “qualified alien” by eliminating the Medicaid‑specific limitation for these citizens.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

March 14, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 14, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

March 14, 2023

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 14, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 792

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 14, 2023

Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Schatz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

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).