House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, today secured House passage of two bills ensuring taxpayer-funded assistance programs are reserved for those who are lawfully present in the United States. The measures advance the state’s commitment to Safeguarding Eligibility, Compliance and Use of Resources Efficiently (SECURE) when administering state and federal assistance.

“Oklahoma taxpayers should never be forced to subsidize benefits for individuals who are in our country illegally," said Hilbert. These services are intended for legal, tax-paying citizens, and the House has made clear that we are going to ensure those benefits are protected for eligible Oklahomans.”

House Bills 4422 and 4423 reinforce eligibility standards for public assistance programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid and Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The legislation clarifies that individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States are ineligible for taxpayer-funded benefits and strengthens verification requirements to ensure state agencies are complying with federal law and directing benefits only to qualified recipients.

Both House Bill 4422 and House Bill 4423 passed unanimously by House Republicans.

“We continue to address the consequences of reckless federal border policies created under the Biden Administration that have made every state a border state,” Hilbert said. “Oklahoma must send a clear message: we stand with legal immigrants, American workers and the men and women of ICE and Border Patrol who enforce our laws. These bills promote cooperation with federal authorities and reinforce that Oklahoma will not serve as a magnet for illegal immigration or the misuse of public resources.”

With House passage secured, the bills now move to the Senate for consideration.

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