Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 14, 1999
Fairness for Legal Immigrants Act of 1999 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 with respect to lawful resident aliens and their eligibility for Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (titles XIX and XVI of the Social Security Act (SSA)) and other Federal assistance.Provides States with the option of extending Medicaid-eligibility to certain lawful resident alien pregnant women and children, as well as the option of extending CHIP-eligibility (SSA title XXI (Children's Health Insurance (CHIP)) to such children.Provides States with the option of extending Medicaid-eligibility to certain blind or disabled or other specified medically needy aliens, such as those who are residents of a nursing facility.Mandates SSI eligibility for certain lawful resident aliens who are aged, blind, or disabled.Exempts certain blind or disabled aliens from the five-year general limitation on the eligibility for qualified aliens for Federal means-tested public benefits that was imposed by such Act.Mandates food stamp program eligibility under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 for certain aliens lawfully residing in the United State on August 22, 1996, who would otherwise be subject to the same five-year general limitation.Exempts certain battered aliens (which under such Act are treated as lawful resident aliens) from disqualification (thereby making them SSI- and food stamp program-eligible).Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for waiver of affidavit of support requirements for benefits provided through such State elections to extend such optional Medicaid and other described optional public program eligibility to certain lawful resident aliens.
Source last updated: Aug 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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