[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.