HR 2884
11-6-07, House Agreed to Bill by Voice Vote
Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2884
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 8, 2007
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
AN ACT
To assist members of the Armed Forces in obtaining United States
citizenship, and for other purposes.
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 `Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act'.
SEC. 2. FINGERPRINTS FOR MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES.
(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including section
552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the `Privacy
Act of 1974'), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall use the fingerprints
provided by an individual at the time the individual enlisted in the Armed
Forces to satisfy any requirement for fingerprints that is part of an application
for naturalization if--
(1) the individual may be naturalized pursuant to section 328 or 329 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1439-1440);
(2) the individual was fingerprinted in accordance with the requirements
of the Department of Defense at the time the individual enlisted in the
Armed Forces;
(3) the individual submits an application for naturalization not later than
24 months after the date on which the individual enlisted in the Armed Forces;
and
(4) the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the fingerprints
are sufficient to adjudicate the applicant's naturalization application.
(b) Most Timely and Effective Adjudication- Nothing in this section shall
preclude an individual described in subsection (a) from submitting new fingerprints
to the Secretary of Homeland Security. If the Secretary of Homeland Security
determines that submitting new fingerprints would result in more timely and
effective adjudication of the individual's naturalization application, the
Secretary shall inform the individual that submitting new fingerprints would
result in more timely and effective adjudication of the individual's naturalization
application, along with a description of how to submit new fingerprints.
(c) Cooperation- The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with
the Secretary of Defense, shall determine the format of fingerprints acceptable
for usage under subsection (a). The Secretary of Defense, or any other official
having custody of the fingerprints referred to in subsection (a), shall make
such prints available to the Secretary of Homeland Security for the purpose
described in subsection (a) without charge and shall otherwise cooperate with
the Secretary of Homeland Security in fulfilling the Secretary's satisfaction
of the requirement under subsection (a).
SEC. 3. PROVISION OF INFORMATION ON MILITARY NATURALIZATION.
(a) In General- Not later than 30 days after the effective date of any modification
to a regulation related to naturalization under section 328 or 329 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1439-1440), the Secretary of Homeland
Security shall update as necessary the appropriate Internet site or sites
maintained by the Secretary to reflect such modification.
(b) Sense of Congress- It is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary
of Homeland Security should update as necessary the appropriate application
form or forms promulgated by the Secretary not later than 180 days after an
effective date described in subsection (a).
SEC. 4. REPORTS.
(a) Adjudication Process- Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report on the entire process for
the adjudication of an application for naturalization filed pursuant to section
328 or 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1439-1440), including
the process that begins at the time the application is mailed to, or received
by, the Secretary of Homeland Security, regardless of whether the Secretary
determines that such application is complete, through the final disposition
of such application. Such report shall include a description of--
(1) the methods of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary
of Defense to prepare, handle, and adjudicate such applications;
(2) the effectiveness of the chain of authority, supervision, and training
of employees of the Federal Government or of other entities, including contract
employees, who have any role in such process or adjudication; and
(3) the ability of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary
of Defense to use technology to facilitate or accomplish any aspect of such
process or adjudication.
(1) STUDY- The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a
study on the implementation of this Act by the Secretary of Homeland Security
and the Secretary of Defense, including studying any technology that may
be used to improve the efficiency of the naturalization process for members
of the Armed Forces.
(2) REPORT- Not later than 180 days after the date that the Comptroller
General submits the report required by subsection (a), the Comptroller General
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
study required by paragraph (1). The report shall include any recommendations
of the Comptroller General for improving the implementation of this Act
by the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Secretary of Defense.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined- In this section, the term
`appropriate congressional committees' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on the Judiciary of
the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on the Judiciary of
the House of Representatives.
Passed the House of Representatives November 6, 2007.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.
END
