New Utah bill would turn Medicaid and SNAP offices into ICE tip lines
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A newly introduced bill in Utah’s legislature would make Medicaid and SNAP harder to get and order state officials to flag noncitizen applicants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal authorities.
Sponsored by Rep. Logan Monson, R‑Blanding, HB471 goes beyond federal guidance on immigration status and eligibility. It narrows who can receive Medicaid compared to federal rules and treats mixed‑status households more strictly than federal practice. Applicants must attest that they are U.S. citizens or otherwise “qualified,” and agencies must verify that status before anyone sees a dollar in benefits.
⏰ Tick Tock
11 days - Signature deadline for ballot initiative seeking to repeal Prop. 4 (2/15/2026)
30 days - The final day of the 2026 Utah Legislature (3/6/2026)
33 days - First day congressional candidates can file to run for the 2026 election. (3/9/2026)
41 days - Neighborhood caucus night. (3/17/2026)
66 days - Utah Forward Party nominating convention (4/11/2026)
80 days - Utah State Republican and Democratic State Party nominating conventions (4/25/2026)
139 days - Utah's 2026 primary election (6/23/2026)
272 days - 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026)
1,007 days - 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028)
On top of that, most Utah Medicaid recipients must meet federal work requirements, document the prior three months, and keep proving compliance. The state would verify income, Utah residency, and citizenship/immigration status before enrollment and at set intervals, with ongoing checks for changes in eligibility—including monthly cross‑checks against death records.
HB471 also changes how officials count money in mixed‑status households: if some members are ineligible for Medicaid because of immigration status, the state would count those ineligible members’ income when deciding if an eligible person in the same home qualifies. In practice, that makes it easier to push an otherwise eligible applicant over the income limit.
SNAP (food stamps) gets a parallel squeeze. The bill would bar the state from seeking federal waivers that soften work requirements for able‑bodied adults without dependents unless both the Legislature and governor sign off. It also blocks the Department of Workforce Services from using its discretionary exemptions. Able‑bodied adults with no children and zero net income would face eligibility reviews every three to four months. As with Medicaid, income and resources from ineligible noncitizens in a household would count toward SNAP eligibility, which would likely reduce enrollment among eligible citizens in mixed-status families.
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