BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana House Judiciary Committee on an otherwise routine morning voted to report House Bill 307, a measure by Representative Henry that would require state agencies and political subdivisions to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when an applicant for public assistance is not a U.S. citizen.

Supporters said the bill merely aligns state practice with federal law and helps the state enforce eligibility rules for public benefits. Opponents and several committee members described the measure as potentially harsh toward vulnerable people and questioned how agencies would determine immigration status in practice.

Representative Henry, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation would require agencies to report “individuals who seek public assistance that are not citizens of the United States to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.” He also described an adopted amendment that adds the secretary of state to the list of entities covered by the reporting requirement.

Alan Compton, president of FGA Action, testified in favor and told the committee, “Federal law currently prohibits illegal aliens from receiving any federal, state, or local public benefit. And federal law also clearly allows for and encourages, local government, state and local governments to communicate citizenship status or immigration status of individuals with ICE.” He said the measure is consistent with federal limits on benefits and would help Louisiana enforce immigration laws.

Several members pressed the sponsor about scope and consequences. Representative Landry questioned whether the bill would be “cruel” by exposing people seeking help — including pregnant women and very poor households — to federal immigration enforcement. Representative Henry replied the bill does not prescribe what ICE will do after a report and said the requirement would rely on standard eligibility checks; he pointed to the absence of a Social Security number as one common “cue” that an applicant is not eligible.

Committee discussion also noted that some state entities filed white cards rather than testify; representatives said child-welfare and social-services agencies were listed as interested parties but did not speak during the hearing.

On procedure, the committee considered and adopted an amendment requested by the secretary of state to make that office subject to the reporting obligation. A motion to defer the bill was made and then withdrawn; finally, the committee took a roll-call vote on the motion to report the bill favorably with amendments. The clerk recorded 10 yeas and 5 nays, and the chair announced, “Bill is reported favorably.”

The measure drew both organized support and opposition on paper: the Foundation for Government Accountability’s policy arm testified in support, while the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families and the Sierra Club Delta Chapter filed written opposition cards but did not speak during the hearing.

HB307 will next go to the House calendar with the committee’s favorable recommendation and the adopted amendment. The bill text reported out of committee specifies only the reporting requirement and the entities subject to it; it does not set federal enforcement outcomes or penalties for agencies that fail to report.