Housing

HB 335 requires state agencies, local governments, and organizations administering federal, state, or local public benefits (like food assistance or housing programs) to verify applicants' U.S. citizenship or valid immigration status under federal law. It mandates that entities must verify citizenship before approving benefits, with specific procedures for cases where applicants lack proper status. The bill also requires these entities to undergo annual audits by the legislative auditor and submit yearly reports to state leadership detailing how many applicants were referred to immigration authorities or had benefits terminated due to citizenship verification. These reports must include statistics on referrals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and terminations of public assistance under the law.

This bill proposes the creation of a task force to study how to develop a unified statewide home ownership assistance program called the "Dream Starter Program." The legislation directly affects housing policy by establishing a committee to investigate and recommend a coordinated approach to helping residents purchase homes. A specific amendment adds Louisiana REALTORS to the list of organizations that would be part of this task force. Although the bill was amended to include this group, the final vote rejected the resolution, meaning the proposed task force and program were not established.