WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold today introduced the SSI Extension for Disabled and Elderly Refugees Act, bipartisan legislation to extend the deadline for U.S. citizenship requirement for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from seven to nine years. The bill also includes a provision to restore benefits to those legal immigrants who have recently lost their benefits because of the seven-year limit. Under current law, there is a seven-year time limit on SSI benefits -- a basic monthly income for the elderly, blind or disabled -- for legal humanitarian immigrants who are not U.S. citizens. A refugee must reside in the U.S. for five years as a lawful permanent resident before beginning the lengthy citizenship process, which often proves overwhelming.

"So many of our refugees are trapped in the naturalization process and, as a result, have lost the SSI benefits that provide them with the basic resources to live. Many more will soon lose those benefits," Kohl said. "These refugees include Hmong living in Wisconsin who fought on our side during the Vietnam War. We owe it to them to pass this extension so they can have the basic financial resources they depend on."

"It is my sincere hope that this bill will be taken up and passed quickly, since time is of the essence for this population," Feingold said. "Many of the Hmong risked their lives to help the United States and I believe that the U.S. government should do all it can to provide for them in their time of need."

The 1996 welfare law included a seven-year time limit on SSI benefits for legal humanitarian immigrants. In order to avoid losing this important support, refugees and asylees must become citizens within the seven year limit. Unfortunately, there are many barriers in the application for citizenship among elderly Hmong refugees in Wisconsin, including language difficulties, which put them at risk for losing SSI benefits. And beyond that, there are processing and bureaucratic delays within the various agencies, which an immigrant must overcome before they become naturalized.

The President's recent budget proposal includes a one-year extension for the citizenship requirement. Kohl and Feingold said that was a good first step, but still seek a longer-term solution to the issue.

The SSI Extension for Disabled and Elderly Refugees Act is cosponsored by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joe Lieberman (D-CT), and Richard Lugar (R-IN).

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