A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``VERIFY Act of 2026,'' aims to modernize the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to improve the program's accuracy, speed, and ability to work with other systems. The Act requires faster updates to immigration status changes and better data sharing with federal and state agencies. It also introduces notification alerts for status changes and sets limits on how data is used. Finally, the bill establishes oversight through a modernization plan and annual audits by the Inspector General.
Yes· 3 of 11
- Scored +4
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill ensures faster status updates and protects against automated negative decisions regarding eligibility.
- Scored +4
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The bill prohibits adverse determinations based solely on automated processing and requires human review for contested decisions.
- Scored +3
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
The bill improves the accuracy and timeliness of status verifications which can prevent wrongful denials of benefits for immigrants.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Accuracy and Speed: By upgrading infrastructure and implementing automated data reconciliation, the program seeks to provide more reliable and timely verification responses (Section 2(a)).
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Faster Status Updates: The bill requires that changes to an individual's immigration status, such as extensions or revocations, be reflected in the program within 24 hours of being recorded (Section 2(b)).
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Improved Verification through Data Sharing: The Act promotes better verification accuracy by integrating the program into DHS systems and establishing agreements with the Social Security Administration and other federal agencies (Section 2(c)).
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Automated Status Alerts: The program will notify querying agencies if an individual's immigration status changes after an initial verification, which is relevant for continued eligibility (Section 2(d)).
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Protection Against Unfair Automated Decisions: The bill ensures that no adverse eligibility determination can be made solely based on automated processing, requiring human review for contested or negative determinations (Section 2(f)).
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Limits on Data Use: The Act limits information to what is necessary for eligibility and prohibits the use of the program for general law enforcement or surveillance purposes (Section 2(e)).
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No Fees for Government Agencies: No fees will be charged to Federal, State, local, or Tribal government agencies for submitting verification queries (Section 3).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Mandatory Human Review for Contested Decisions: While intended as a safeguard, the bill requires human review for any contested or negative determinations resulting from automated tools (Section 2(f)).
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Potential for Data Sharing Risks: The bill encourages voluntary data-sharing agreements with State vital records agencies for verifying birth and death information (Section 2(c)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill ensures faster status updates and protects against automated negative decisions regarding eligibility. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Streamlined status updates and accurate verification benefit the large demographic of immigrants in this group. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improved verification speeds can prevent delays in receiving essential government entitlements.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill improves the accuracy and timeliness of status verifications which can prevent wrongful denials of benefits for immigrants. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — By ensuring status changes like grants and extensions are updated within 24 hours, the bill facilitates smoother administration of legal status. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — More accurate verification helps ensure individuals receive the entitlements they are eligible for without unnecessary delays. Does this tighten control of the border? — The bill enhances the integration of DHS systems to improve the management of arrival and departure information.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill prohibits adverse determinations based solely on automated processing and requires human review for contested decisions. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary to submit a modernization plan and annual audit results to Congress.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill includes specific limitations on data scope and mandates administrative safeguards to protect privacy.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill mandates upgrading query processing infrastructure and technical upgrades to the SAVE program.
- 4/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
David TaylorRepublican · Ohio