Bill Details
View committees (1)
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would stop certain federal housing and community development grant money from being used to help people who are not U.S. nationals or lawful permanent residents. Specifically, it changes rules for grants under a long-standing housing law so that money made available from those grants in 2024 and later cannot be spent on assistance for people who lack the required immigration status. It also says the federal agency that runs these programs cannot give grants to any State, city, county, or tribe if that government runs any housing or community program that provides help to people who are not U.S. nationals or lawful permanent residents. In plain terms, local governments or tribes that provide housing help to undocumented immigrants or others without permanent resident status would be barred from receiving these particular federal grants, unless they stop offering that help. The change is written as an amendment to existing sections of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and overrides other laws that might allow broader use of these funds.
- The bill forbids using money from section 106 grants (community development and housing grants) to assist anyone who is neither a U.S. national nor a lawful permanent resident.
- It prevents the federal agency from awarding those grants to any State, local government, or Indian tribe that operates any housing or community program that provides assistance to such persons.
- The restriction applies to grants made in fiscal year 2024 and any year after that.
- Practically, local programs that serve undocumented immigrants (for example, emergency shelters, rental help, or rehab projects) could lose access to these federal funds or be forced to change who they serve to keep funding.
Official Summaries
Keeping Aid for Municipalities And Localities Accountable Act or the KAMALA Act
This bill prohibits the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to assist non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who are not lawfully admitted permanent residents. The CDBG program is administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provides states, local governments, and Indian tribes with funds for economic and community development.
The bill also specifically prohibits HUD from making a CDBG grant to any state, local government, or Indian tribe that carries out a housing or community development program that assists such individuals.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 50 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 50
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Ogles, Mr. Crane, and Mrs. Luna)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Keeping Aid for Municipalities And
Localities Accountable Act'' or the ``KAMALA Act''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS NOT LAWFULLY PRESENT.
(a) In General.--Section 105 of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(i) Prohibition on Use of Assistance for Persons Not Lawfully
Present.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no amount from a
grant under section 106 made in fiscal year 2024 or any succeeding
fiscal year may be used to assist persons who are neither a national of
the United States nor lawfully admitted for permanent residence under
section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.''.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON GRANTS TO ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO
PERSONS NOT LAWFULLY PRESENT.
Section 103 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5303) is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Secretary is authorized to'' and
inserting:
``(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Limitation.--The Secretary may not make a grant to any State,
unit of general local government, or Indian tribe to carry out
activities in accordance with the provisions of this title if such
State, unit of general local government, or Indian tribe carries out
any housing or community development related program that provides
assistance to persons who are neither a national of the United States
nor lawfully admitted for permanent residence under section 101(a)(20)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act.''.
<all>