To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the automatic acquisition of citizenship by certain Amerasians.

October 21, 2003

Ms. LOFGREN (for herself, Mr. CASE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. FARR, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. EMANUEL, and Mr. GUTIERREZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the automatic acquisition of citizenship by certain Amerasians.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Amerasian Naturalization Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC ACQUISITION OF CITIZENSHIP FOR CERTAIN AMERASIANS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 320 the following:

`AMERASIAN IMMIGRANTS; CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH CITIZENSHIP AUTOMATICALLY ACQUIRED

`SEC. 321. A person automatically becomes a citizen of the United States when the person is residing in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission as an immigrant under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note), if the person was considered a principal alien pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A) of such section.'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of contents for the Immigration and Nationality Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 320 the following:

`321. Amerasian immigrants; conditions under which citizenship automatically acquired.'.

(c) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section shall take effect 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to individuals who satisfy the requirements of section 321 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as added by subsection (a)) before, on, or after such date.

END