CARSON CITY -- Hordes of noncitizens have not caused the state's $881 million shortfall by securing welfare, food stamps and other public assistance, a key state official said Tuesday.
Michael Willden, director of the Department of Health and Human Services, said people who are not U.S. citizens cannot receive any kind of public assistance funded through his office, except for the treatment of communicable diseases and hospital emergency room care.
Nevada last year paid $22 million to hospitals that treated noncitizens because federal law requires that they receive such care, he said. Much of this expenditure was reimbursed by the federal government.
He said public health agencies provide care to noncitizens with sexually transmitted and other communicable diseases.
"We want to nip that in the bud," he said. "We want to protect the general population from diseases and disease outbreaks."
Willden spoke in response to questions from Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford during an Interim Finance Committee hearing on the state budget.
Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said almost every day he receives e-mail from people certain that state spending on noncitizens is astronomical.
"We get inundated by people who believe this has caused our problem," Horsford said. "People are becoming more frustrated. It is important to know what is fact and what is not."
"None of the noncitizens or illegals are eligible for public assistance, except for emergency medical assistance," Willden replied.
Tuesday's discussion did not mention Department of Education benefits that go to schoolchildren who are in the country illegally, including public school education itself and free and reduced price meals. Those programs are not administered through Willden's agency.
Willden later said that children born in the United States who have noncitizen parents are U.S. citizens. They can receive welfare, food stamps and other forms of assistance.
Willden said Nevada does not have a reputation of easily making people eligible for public assistance.
He said a growing number of U.S. citizen children of noncitizens are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
In December, 4,505 citizen children of noncitizens were receiving this form of assistance. In all, 29,440 people received TANF grants that month.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
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