Rep. Stevens files bill in North Carolina House to restrict state benefits eligibility

A new bill filed by State Rep. Sarah Stevens in the North Carolina House seeks to ensure state-funded benefits and housing are available only to U.S. citizens and legally authorized residents, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 690 on April 2 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘The Citizens Support Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, known as the Citizens Support Act, mandates that state-funded benefits and publicly funded housing benefits in North Carolina are available only to U.S. citizens and noncitizens with legal permission to reside in the United States. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Commerce, Housing Finance Agency, and local housing authorities to develop and implement plans to update eligibility criteria and verify immigration status. The bill requires reports on the implementation and challenges faced in adhering to federal laws. State-funded institutions of higher education must verify the legal residency of applicants for tuition and educational benefits, while the Department of Commerce’s Division of Employment Security must ensure unemployment benefits are only provided to legally residing individuals. The act becomes effective when it becomes law.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Neal Jackson and Jennifer Balkcom proposed the most bills (32) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Stevens graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1981 with a BS and again in 1986 from Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law with a JD.

Stevens, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2009 to represent the state’s 90th House district, replacing previous state representative Jim Harrell.