FL Legislature Kills Bills Benefiting Illegal Aliens

Seven immigration related bills that would have provided illegal aliens benefits in some form died with the adjournment of the Florida Legislature on May 2, 2013.  (NCSL).  The seven bills covered a broad range of issues, such as protection against ICE detainers, in-state tuition, welfare benefits, and driver’s licenses.   

House Bill 767 and its Senate companion bill, Senate Bill 730, the so-called “Florida Trust Act (Transparency and Responsibility Using State Tools),” would have prevented local officials from complying with ICE detainers unless the alien in custody had been convicted of or was charged with a serious offense.  Both bills died in their respective Criminal Justice Committees on May 3.  California passed a similar version of the TRUST Act (AB 1081) in 2012, but it was subsequently defeated by the Governor’s veto.

House Bill 1113 and its Senate companion bill, Senate Bill 624, the so-called Florida DREAM Act, would have provided in-state tuition to illegal aliens who had: (1) attended school in Florida for three years, (2) received a Florida high school diploma or GED, (3) registered at a state university or Florida College System institution, and (4) filed an affidavit with the state university or college stating that he/she has filed an application to legalize his/her immigration status or will do so as soon as eligible to do so.  HB 1113 died in the House Higher Education and Workforce Subcommittee and SB 624 died in the Senate Education Committee on May 3.   

Senate Bill 704 and its House companion bill, House Bill 4023, would have made illegal alien minors eligible for the state’s welfare program, Kidcare.  Current law restricts the Kidcare program to “qualified aliens” as defined by federal law to exclude illegal aliens.  SB 704 died in the Senate Health Policy Committee and HB 4023 died in the House Healthy Families Subcommittee on May 3.

Senate Bill 1304 would have made an illegal alien eligible for Florida driver’s license by expanding acceptable proof of identity to include (1) a foreign passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship or (2) a consular ID card.  SB 1304 died in the Transportation Committee on May 3.