SB 745

Currently, federal law prohibits all but certain noncitizens from receiving any “state or local public benefit,” which is defined to include any “professional license, or commercial license provided by an agency of a state or local government.” However, federal law allows states to explicitly allow eligibility for certain public benefits. This bill allows certain individuals who are not U.S. citizens to receive credentials to practice certain occupations in this state if he or she meets all other requirements for the credential. Under the bill, an eligible individual is an individual to whom all of the following apply: 1) the individual has been granted deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 2) the individual’s deferred action is not expired; and 3) the individual possesses an unexpired employment authorization document issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Any credential issued to an individual under the bill is only valid for the period of time during which the individual’s employment authorization document is valid.