Overview
Title
To prohibit grants provided under section 106 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 from being used to assist persons who are neither a national of the United States nor lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 9617 is a rule trying to make sure that only people who are U.S. citizens or who have special permission to live here can get certain types of help with houses. It doesn't let any money go to people or groups who help others without the right paperwork to stay in the country.
Summary AI
H.R. 9617 is a bill introduced to prevent grants under Section 106 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 from being given to individuals who are not U.S. nationals or do not have lawful permanent residency. The bill, known as the “Keeping Aid for Municipalities And Localities Accountable Act” or the “KAMALA Act,” also prohibits providing grants to entities that offer assistance to such individuals. Specifically, it amends existing laws to ensure that federal housing funds are not used to assist people who do not have the legal status as defined by U.S. immigration laws.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
The bill titled "To prohibit grants provided under section 106 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 from being used to assist persons who are neither a national of the United States nor lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and for other purposes," seeks to amend existing legislation to limit the use of federal funds. This legislation, introduced in the House of Representatives, aims to ensure that grants provided under this section of the Housing Act are not used to assist undocumented immigrants or those without permanent legal status in the United States.
General Summary
The proposed legislation, referred to as the "Keeping Aid for Municipalities And Localities Accountable Act" or the "KAMALA Act," consists of two main provisions. Section 2 introduces an amendment to prevent federal housing grants from being used to assist individuals who are not U.S. nationals or who have not been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Section 3 extends this prohibition to any state, local government, or tribal entity that administers programs assisting such individuals, barring them from receiving relevant federal grants.
Significant Issues
Several significant issues arise from this bill:
Vagueness in Language: The bill uses terms like "persons not lawfully present," which are not defined with precision. This lack of specificity can lead to confusion about who exactly is affected, such as individuals on temporary visas or those with pending immigration cases.
Impact on Services and Development: There is a potential impact on essential services and community development initiatives, as the prohibition on funding could affect programs that might indirectly benefit undocumented immigrants.
Enforcement and Verification Challenges: The bill does not clarify how it would enforce these provisions or verify the legal status of individuals, which could present practical difficulties for organizations and agencies affected by the legislation.
Potential Humanitarian Concerns: By denying assistance to individuals based on legal status, the bill may leave vulnerable communities without necessary support, which raises ethical and humanitarian concerns.
Privacy and Administrative Implications: Verifying immigration status may intrude on an individual’s privacy and create administrative burdens for local entities implementing the bill's requirements.
Public Impact
Broadly, the legislation could potentially alter the landscape of community and housing funding, particularly in areas with large immigrant populations. Residents might see changes in the availability of community services if local governments redirect resources or are unable to access federal grants. The broader societal impact could be significant, as cities and states may face challenges in meeting the needs of all community members, thereby affecting social cohesion and public welfare.
Impact on Stakeholders
Local Governments and Community Organizations: These entities could face financial and operational challenges as they may need to reassess existing programs to comply with the new funding restrictions. The burden of determining legal statuses could divert resources from program delivery.
Immigrant Communities: Undocumented immigrants and individuals without permanent legal residence would be directly affected by the restrictions, potentially losing access to crucial community development programs and services.
Lawmakers and Policymakers: Legislators and policymakers who support or oppose the bill will find themselves needing to address public concerns related to fairness, legality, and the implications for state and local governance.
Advocacy Groups: Organizations advocating for immigrant rights and equitable treatment of all community members may oppose the bill, citing potential humanitarian issues and arguing for the inclusivity and protection of vulnerable populations.
In summary, while the bill aims to ensure accountability in the use of federal housing grants, it raises several complex issues that necessitate careful consideration of both intended and unintended consequences. The potential impact on communities and stakeholders underscores the importance of a nuanced approach to policy-making in this area.
Issues
The language 'persons not lawfully present' in Section 2 is vague and lacks specificity, which may lead to confusion over which categories of individuals are affected, such as undocumented immigrants or others with temporary visas.
Section 3 may have broader societal impacts as it prohibits grants to entities providing assistance to undocumented immigrants, potentially affecting essential services and community development efforts.
The bill lacks clarity on enforcement mechanisms and the verification process for determining an individual's legal status as mentioned in both Sections 2 and 3, which could lead to challenges in implementation.
The potential humanitarian concerns and unintended consequences of denying assistance based on legal status are not addressed, which may impact vulnerable communities adversely as indicated in Section 2.
The term 'assistance' in Section 3 is not clearly defined, leading to ambiguity over what activities are prohibited under the grant conditions.
The requirement to determine immigration status could lead to privacy concerns and administrative burdens, as noted in Sections 2 and 3.
There is a potential conflict with local policies or initiatives aimed at providing support to all residents regardless of immigration status, which is not addressed in the bill, especially pertinent to Section 3.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states the short title, indicating that the Act can be referred to as the "Keeping Aid for Municipalities And Localities Accountable Act" or the "KAMALA Act".
2. Prohibition on assistance for persons not lawfully present Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The new section added to the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 prohibits the use of grant money from 2024 onwards to help people who are not U.S. nationals or do not have permanent resident status.
3. Prohibition on grants to entities that provide assistance to persons not lawfully present Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The text describes an amendment to the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, which prohibits the Secretary from giving grants to any state, local government, or Indian tribe if they run housing or community programs that help individuals who are not U.S. nationals or do not have legal permanent residence.