Labor & Employment (Unemployment)

HR 6854, the "No Welfare for Non-Citizens Act," would remove all federal public benefit eligibility for non-citizens under current law. It amends the 1996 welfare law by eliminating exceptions that previously allowed certain non-citizens (like "qualified aliens") to access benefits such as cash assistance and unemployment benefits. The bill repeals existing provisions that permitted limited eligibility and explicitly states non-citizens are ineligible for all federal public benefits. This change would directly affect non-citizens without specific immigration statuses, removing their access to programs like SNAP (food stamps) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) that were previously available under limited circumstances.

The CLOSE Act terminates temporary pandemic unemployment benefit programs established under the CARES Act, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, after a 30-day grace period following enactment. It also cancels (rescinds) unused federal funds that were allocated for these programs but not yet spent. This directly affects states administering these benefits and individuals who received pandemic-era unemployment support. The bill stops future payments and returns unobligated funds to the Treasury without altering benefits already paid.

The CLOSE Act terminates three federal unemployment assistance programs established under the CARES Act, ending all future payments 30 days after the bill's enactment. It cancels unspent funds that were allocated for these programs, requiring states to return unused money to the federal government. This directly affects states administering the CARES Act unemployment programs but does not change current benefits for individuals already receiving assistance. The bill focuses on ending future funding and reclaiming unused resources, with no impact on existing recipients.

The SHIELD Act would change unemployment benefit eligibility by barring workers from receiving regular unemployment compensation if they are unemployed due to a strike or labor dispute they are participating in, financially supporting, or have a direct interest in (excluding lockouts). This rule would require states to adjust their unemployment programs to deny benefits in such cases. The changes would take effect two years after the bill becomes law, though states could choose to implement them sooner. The bill also repeals a federal tax provision related to unemployment tax rates, but this is a secondary provision.

HR 1119, the Unemployment Integrity Act of 2025, requires unemployed individuals applying for regular benefits to actively engage with job opportunities by responding to work-related requests, attending required interviews, and complying with reasonable assessments like drug tests or skills evaluations. It also mandates the Secretary of Labor to study increasing random audits of unemployment claims and potentially expand these audits to improve program integrity. Additionally, the bill links federal funding for extended unemployment benefits to states adopting these new requirements, stating that states must include the interview and compliance provisions before receiving federal funds for extended benefits. These changes directly affect unemployed workers seeking benefits and state unemployment programs administering the system.