[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 789 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 789

 To change the requirements for naturalization through service in the 
                   Armed Forces of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 3, 2003

   Mr. Nelson of Florida (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To change the requirements for naturalization through service in the 
                   Armed Forces of the United States.

    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 ``Citizenship for Servicemembers Act 
of 2003''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR NATURALIZATION THROUGH SERVICE IN THE ARMED 
              FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Reduction of Period for Required Service.--Section 328(a) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1439(a)) is amended by 
striking ``three years'' and inserting ``2 years''.
    (b) Prohibition on Imposition of Fees Relating to Naturalization.--
Title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) 
is amended--
            (1) in section 328(b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking ``honorable. The'' and 
                        inserting ``honorable (the''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``discharge.'' and 
                        inserting ``discharge); and''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) notwithstanding any other provision of law, no fee 
        shall be charged or collected from the applicant for filing a 
        petition for naturalization or for the issuance of a 
        certificate of naturalization upon citizenship being granted to 
        the applicant, and no clerk of any State court shall charge or 
        collect any fee for such services unless the laws of the State 
        require such charge to be made, in which case nothing more than 
        the portion of the fee required to be paid to the State shall 
        be charged or collected.''; and
            (2) in section 329(b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) notwithstanding any other provision of law, no fee 
        shall be charged or collected from the applicant for filing a 
        petition for naturalization or for the issuance of a 
        certificate of naturalization upon citizenship being granted to 
        the applicant, and no clerk of any State court shall charge or 
        collect any fee for such services unless the laws of the State 
        require such charge to be made, in which case nothing more than 
        the portion of the fee required to be paid to the State shall 
        be charged or collected.''.
    (c) Naturalization Proceedings Overseas for Members of the Armed 
Forces.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense 
shall ensure that any applications, interviews, filings, oaths, 
ceremonies, or other proceedings under title III of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) relating to naturalization of 
members of the Armed Forces are available through United States 
embassies, consulates, and as practicable, United States military 
installations overseas.
    (d) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 328(b)(3) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1439(b)(3)) is amended by 
striking ``Attorney General'' and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland 
Security''.
                                 <all>