Tillis bill protecting eugenics victims’ benefits signed

RALEIGH, NC (AP) – Legislation by North Carolina Sen. Thom Tills to ensure that people who’ve received payments from states after being sterilized decades ago are not penalized in qualifying for federal benefits has been signed by President Barack Obama.

The president on Friday signed the bipartisan legislation introduced by the Republican Tillis. It excludes the payments from calculations designed to determine whether someone can enroll for things like Medicaid, food stamps and disability assistance.

Tillis’ office says more than 30 states had eugenics programs or compulsory sterilization laws during the 20th century.

About 7,600 people were sterilized by North Carolina or its counties. North Carolina and Virginia are the only states so far that have passed laws compensating living victims. Tillis championed North Carolina’s compensation law while he was state House speaker.

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