The KAMALA Act would tighten federal housing and community development funding by tying eligibility to immigration status. Specifically, it would bar any amount of a Section 106 grant (funding in the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974) from being used to assist people who are not U.S. nationals or who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LPR). It also adds a prohibition on federal grants to states, units of general local government, or Indian tribes that provide housing or development assistance to individuals who are not lawfully present. In short, the bill would condition access to federal community development funds on whether recipients (or the programs they run) serve only people who are legally in the United States. The bill establishes the Keep Aid for Municipalities And Localities Accountable Act (KAMALA Act) as the short title and is currently introduced in the 119th Congress. It would apply to fiscal year 2024 and onward, though as introduced it is not yet law and would require passage by both houses and signature by the president to take effect.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition on using Section 106 grants for non-lawfully-present people: No amount of a Section 106 grant may be used to assist persons who are neither a national of the United States nor lawfully admitted for permanent residence under INA section 101(a)(20), starting in FY2024 and continuing in subsequent years.
- 2Restriction on grants to jurisdictions that assist non-lawfully-present persons: The Secretary of HUD may not make a grant to any state, unit of general local government, or Indian tribe that carries out housing or community development programs that provide assistance to persons who are not lawfully present.
- 3Expanded definition within the statute: The bill adds explicit language to Section 105 (and related sections) to ensure grants support only individuals who are lawful residents or citizens, using the INA references for “national” and “lawfully admitted for permanent residence.”
- 4Scope of the affected programs: The change centers on grants under section 106 for community development and related activities, as administered by HUD, reshaping who can be served by those funds.
- 5Short title and status: The bill is titled the Keeping Aid for Municipalities And Localities Accountable Act (KAMALA Act). It was introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Financial Services; sponsor listed as Mr. Biggs (and cosponsors) in the text.