Senator Rick Scott has joined Senator Roger Marshall and Congressman Troy Nehls in introducing the Public Charge Clarification Act. The bill seeks to codify a rule first proposed during President Trump’s administration that would establish clear standards for determining when individuals seeking permanent residency in the United States are likely to become dependent on public benefits.
The legislation is intended to prevent non-citizens from relying on taxpayer-funded safety net programs, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing assistance, when applying for permanent residency. In 2022, the Biden administration revised previous guidelines, narrowing the definition of “public charge” and allowing some immigrants’ use of these benefits not to be considered in their applications.
Senator Rick Scott stated, “The Biden administration’s inconsistent and weak enforcement of our border policies and use of taxpayer dollars have allowed illegal aliens to drain taxpayer resources while crime surged. The Public Charge Clarification Act codifies President Trump’s effort to provide clear and fair standards, strengthens accountability to safeguard the opportunity of living the American Dream for those who come ready to work and succeed.”
Senator Roger Marshall commented, “For too long, hardworking Americans have been left high and dry while Washington props up a broken immigration system that rewards dependence. If we truly want to put America First, immigrants coming to our country should contribute — not rely on taxpayers. The Public Charge Clarification Act of 2025 does exactly that by reversing Biden’s disastrous policies and codifying the Department of Homeland Security’s commonsense 2018 proposed standard that puts American families first.”
Congressman Troy Nehls added, “The Biden Administration not only scrapped President Trump’s effective border security policies, which kept the American people safe from illegal aliens coming from all corners of the world, but also altered policies that safeguarded public benefits meant for American citizens, to allow for foreign nationals to drain these vital resources and encouraged dependency on these programs. It’s simple—if an alien will be a drain on critical resources that Americans fall back on during hard times, they shouldn’t be admissible. I’m proud to introduce legislation that protects American taxpayers, discourages benefit-seeking immigration, and restores the fundamental requirement that those seeking the privilege of living in the United States must be able to support themselves.”
Senator Scott represents Florida in the Senate and serves as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. He also holds seats on committees including Budget, Armed Services, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Foreign Relations according to his official website. He assumed office in January 2019 after a career that included service in the U.S. Navy and experience in business as detailed by his official biography. Scott operates district offices across Florida in cities such as Naples, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Pensacola according to his website.
Scott regularly shares legislative proposals like this one through his official channels as reported by his office.
