LIFT the BAR Act (Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Benefits)
Current understanding
The LIFT the BAR Act (HR9432) would amend the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to remove the five-year waiting period and other eligibility bars that currently restrict lawfully present immigrants from accessing federal means-tested public benefits, including nutrition programs (SNAP, potentially WIC-adjacent supports), Medicaid/CHIP, SSI, and TANF. The bill has been introduced and referred to multiple House committees, reflecting its cross-jurisdictional scope; it is a reintroduction of prior-Congress legislation and has not advanced to markup. Effects would primarily fall on lawfully present immigrant households (expanded access to nutrition and health assistance), states (potential shifts in state-funded substitute benefit costs), and federal outlays; direct impact on farmers and food prices is limited but SNAP participation increases could marginally raise food-retail demand.
Evidence log
- 2026-06-24 — LIFT the BAR Act: cross-connection with snap-citizenship-residency-eligibility: LIFT the BAR Act would expand SNAP (and other benefit) eligibility for lawfully present immigrants by repealing PRWORA bars, moving in the opposite direction from proposals to tighten SNAP citizenship/residency eligibility. (novelty: 2)