Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) put forward a bill last week that would prevent states from using either federal or state Medicaid funds for illegal immigrants.

“This common sense legislation ensures that taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits are preserved for those who lawfully qualify, prioritizing the needs of American citizens and legal residents while promoting fairness and fiscal responsibility,” said Rep. Kiley.

The bill allows illegal immigrants to continue receiving benefits only for services rendered during medical emergencies.

Rep. Kiley claimed that his bill will save California alone $6.5 billion annually.

Current California law allows undocumented immigrants between the ages of 26-49 to receive all benefits available to citizens.

A December 2023 report from NPR cited data saying that, nationwide, over one million immigrants are receiving taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits, and that most of those immigrants are not in the U.S. legally.

Maine legislators pushed in 2023 for a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded MaineCare benefits.

That bill passed through the state’s Democrat-controlled House before dying in the Senate, failing to pass into law.

Kiley’s bill would likely have failed under former President Joe Biden’s administration, but under President Donald Trump and his crackdown on illegal immigration, the bill may pass through the slim Republican majorities in the House and Senate, giving the president the opportunity to sign it into law.