When House Bill 3071 was introduced, it threatened to cut state funding to government and nonprofit organizations that “knowingly provide benefits” to people living in the United States without permission. It passed the House last month with language to that end and was picked up by the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing Tuesday.
Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is carrying the bill through the Senate. He made a key amendment before introducing the bill to committee members.
He added the word “monetary” between “provide” and “benefits.”
“The idea of just being a benefit was a little bit too broad,” Bullard said, “We were looking at stopping monetary benefits, which narrows the bill considerably.”
He said the slight, but impactful change in language addresses concerns brought to him by fellow lawmakers about the broad applicability of the bill and lack of clarity on what services may specifically be at risk.
The change, Bullard said, means only entities who knowingly give out state money as cash in hand to people for food, rental assistance and other resources will be penalized.
Bullard did not provide specific examples of the kinds of support the bill is trying to stop. Federal law already prohibits people without legal immigration status from receiving most government welfare benefits.
Opponents of the bill, originallyauthored by Checotah Republican Rep. Neil Hays, said they appreciate the added specificity, but still worry about how state agencies and nonprofits will implement its provisions.
Gabriella Ramirez-Perez, the Oklahoma Policy Institute’s immigration policy analyst who's followed the bill closely, said the language is clearer, but its effect on families with mixed immigration status remains unknown.
“There is still uncertainty about how the newly revised amendment will impact Oklahoma families as well as existing state and nonprofit programs,” Ramirez-Perez said. “But the more specific language helps ensure that critical services that protect life and safety remain available to all Oklahomans.”
Sens. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, and Mary Boren, D-Norman, voted against the bill. One Democrat, Sen. Kay Floyd from Oklahoma City, voted in support.
While Brooks, expressed a willingness to work with Bullard on a version that addresses ongoing concerns, Boren had some warnings. “It doesn't sound like there's a lot of verified instances when that's actually happening in Oklahoma,” she said. “This bill could go so far as to interfere with the everyday operation of nonprofits in Oklahoma. So, be cautious about casting the net too far.”
Boren also warned about the possibility of profiling across the social service sector.
“Be Cognizant of the presumption that anybody that’s getting a benefit, like food pantry or Boys and Girls Club, is undocumented and an illegal immigrant unless they otherwise prove that they’re not,” she said. “That burden shifting to the nonprofit world would really disrupt the everyday order of its helping Oklahomans throughout the state.”
The measure passed the committee with a 10-2 vote. It now moves to the appropriations committee before it can be heard on the Senate floor.
