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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts Bill H.263 requires citizenship or lawful presence verification for state assistance, housing, WIC, and MassHealth benefits
Last action · December 31, 2025: Accompanied a study order, see H4883Sponsor: Marc Lombardo
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What This Bill Would Do
State agencies administering transitional financial assistance, low- and moderate-income housing programs, the , and are required to verify that applicants are United States citizens or lawfully present aliens before issuing benefits. The legislation mandates registration with the federal to conduct these eligibility checks.
Applicants seeking state financial assistance, affordable housing support, nutritional benefits through WIC, or medical coverage through must undergo federal immigration status checks, directly altering eligibility screening procedures for residents accessing these programs.
- The bill was introduced by Representative Marc T. Lombardo of Billerica during the 194th legislative session. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Applicants for transitional assistance financial assistance
Applicants must undergo systematic alien verification of citizenship or lawful presence prior to receiving financial benefits.
Applicants for low and moderate income family housing programs
Applicants are subject to mandatory verification of United States citizenship or lawful presence before housing benefits are provided.
Applicants and beneficiaries of the WIC program
Participants must have their citizenship or lawful presence verified through the federal database prior to receiving WIC benefits.
MassHealth beneficiaries
Beneficiaries must undergo verification of United States citizenship or lawful presence prior to receiving medical benefits.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state programs are affected by this legislation?
What system will state agencies use to check applicant eligibility?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- Dec 31, 2025HouseAccompanied a study order, see H4883
- Sep 5, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 09/16/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
- Feb 27, 2025SenateSenate concurred
- Feb 27, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Study Order Linkage
According to legislative progress records, this bill accompanied a study order and is cross-referenced with bill H4883.
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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