[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2884 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
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.
(b) Implementation.--
(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.