[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 662 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 662

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act relating to fulfillment by 
        elderly persons of the requirements for naturalization.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 1997

Mrs. Meek of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act relating to fulfillment by 
        elderly persons of the requirements for naturalization.

    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 ``Naturalization of Older Persons Act 
of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections 
        Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-416) provides that a permanent 
        resident who wishes to become a United States citizen may take 
        the required test on the history, principles, and form of 
        government of the United States in a language other than 
        English if the person either is over 50 and has lived legally 
        in the United States for at least 20 years or is over 55 and 
        has lived legally in the United States for at least 15 years.
            (2) Many aged permanent residents are not able to pass the 
        required citizenship test in English.

SEC. 3. FULFILLMENT BY ELDERLY PERSONS OF REQUIREMENTS FOR 
              NATURALIZATION RELATING TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 312(b) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1423(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph:
    ``(4)(A) The requirement of subsection (a)(2) shall not apply to 
any person who, on the date of the filing of the person's application 
for naturalization as provided in section 334, is over 64 years of age 
and has been living in the United States for periods totaling at least 
5 years subsequent to a lawful admission for permanent residence.
    ``(B) The requirement of subsection (a)(2) may be fulfilled through 
an examination in a language other than English with respect to any 
person who, on the date of the filing of the person's application for 
naturalization as provided in section 334, is at least 60 years of age 
and has been living in the United States for periods totaling at least 
5 years subsequent to a lawful admission for permanent residence.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to 
applications for naturalization pending on or after the date of 
enactment.
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