Bill · S. 5331· Senate(119-S-5331)
Protect American Values Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 8/6/2026
- Last activity
- 8/6/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Mazie Hirono
- Cosponsors
- - 14 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Protect American Values Act of 2026 aims to prevent the use of Federal funds for a specific Department of Homeland Security rule. This rule is titled "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility." The bill prohibits any Federal funds or fees from being used to implement, administer, or enforce this rule. It also extends this restriction to any guidance or sub-regulatory policy that clarifies the rule.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would immigrants be better off under this?+8
The bill directly prevents a rule that would impede essential access for immigrants and their families.
Would children be better off under this?+7
The bill explicitly aims to prevent increased poverty for children caused by the public charge rule.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+7
The bill protects access to essential food, medical care, and housing for low-income families.
The opposite
Does this give the federal government more power?-5
The bill restricts the use of federal funds to implement a specific DHS rule, effectively limiting federal administrative power.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Protecting Access to Essentials: By preventing the implementation of the "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility" rule, the bill seeks to prevent the impediment of access to essential food, medical care, and housing for many families (Section 2, Subsection 4).
-
Maintaining Community Stability: The bill aims to ensure that families, including immigrant and mixed-status families, can maintain their health, strength, and stability to continue contributing to the Nation's social and economic life (Section 2, Subsection 3).
-
Preventing Economic and Health Burdens: The bill seeks to avoid the damages the rule could cause to State and local economies, as well as the burdens it would place on health and service providers (Section 2, Subsection 5).
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Protecting Children: The bill acts to prevent the increase in poverty for certain families and children, including U.S. Citizen children, which the rule's own preamble acknowledges could happen (Section 2, Subsection 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are listed within the text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Immigrants+8Good For Children+7Good For Hispanic Americans+7Good For Low Income Households+7Good For Business Owners+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+7Improves Affordable Housing+5Improves Pathway To Citizenship+5Reduces Homelessness+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+7Reduces Hospital Costs+5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+5Improves Small Business Support+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power-5
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 15 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Michael BennetDemocrat · Colorado
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts