{"id":14765,"date":"2026-03-27T09:27:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/empowermissouri.org\/?p=14765"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:27:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:27:57","slug":"testimony-in-opposition-of-sb-1616-increase-citizenship-verifications-for-public-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empowermissouri.org\/es\/testimony-in-opposition-of-sb-1616-increase-citizenship-verifications-for-public-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Testimony in Opposition of SB 1616- Increase Citizenship Verifications for Public Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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March 25, 2026
To: Senator Trent and Members of the Senate General Laws Committee
From: Christine Woody, Food Security Policy Manager at Empower Missouri
Re: \u00a0 SB 1616<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Christine Woody and I am with Empower Missouri. Empower Missouri is the state\u2019s largest anti-poverty advocacy organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am here to respectfully urge you to oppose Senate Bill 1616 and any other efforts to expand citizenship documentation requirements or impose stricter verification tests as a condition for accessing public benefits in Missouri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this bill is framed as preventing benefits from going to undocumented individuals, the reality is that undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for programs like SNAP and Medicaid under federal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missouri is already required to verify immigration status. Applicants must provide their SSN or their qualifying Alien Registration Number ( otherwise known as A number) when they apply.  The State also runs all applicants through electronic federal databases such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the SAVE system- to prove they are citizens of this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bill says that is not enough and requires documentary submissions by every applicant to prove their citizenship not only at the time of initial application but at every re-certification point and for SNAP that is every 6 months for most households. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasing documentation requirements does not close a loophole\u2014it just creates new barriers for people who are already eligible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What will happen if a bill such as these passes: eligible low income Missouri citizens will lose access to food. And the cost of implementing these stricter verifications will cost the state millions of dollars!  Taxpayer dollars are better spent ensuring eligible families receive nutrition support rather than creating larger government, more red tape and increased bureaucratic hurdles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undocumented people are not receiving benefits, and the qualified legal immigrants, refugees and assylees who are eligible all have their qualifying documentation paper work because they are required to submit it and present it all the time, who this added documentation requirements are going to hurt are U.S. citizens\u2014particularly the most vulnerable in our state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n