[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2516 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2516

   To assist members of the Armed Forces in obtaining United States 
                  citizenship, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 18, 2007

  Ms. Mikulski (for herself and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   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 in connection with 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 and 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) More Timely and Effective Adjudication.--Nothing in this 
section precludes an individual described in subsection (a) from 
submitting a new set of fingerprints to the Secretary of Homeland 
Security. If the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that 
submitting a new set of fingerprints would result in more timely and 
effective adjudication of the individual's naturalization application, 
the Secretary shall--
            (1) inform the individual of such determination; and
            (2) provide the individual with a description of how to 
        submit such 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--
            (1) make such prints available, without charge, to the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security for the purpose described in 
        subsection (a); and
            (2) otherwise cooperate with the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security to facilitate the processing of applications for 
        naturalization 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 and 1440), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall make 
appropriate updates to the Internet sites maintained by the Secretary 
to reflect such modification.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, not later than 180 days after each 
effective date described in subsection (a), should make necessary 
updates to the appropriate application forms of the Department of 
Homeland Security.

SEC. 4. REPORTS.

    (a) Adjudication Process.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall submit a report to the appropriate 
        congressional committees 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 and 1440), including the process 
        that--
                    (A) 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; and
                    (B) ends on the date of the final disposition of 
                such application.
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include a description of--
                    (A) the methods used by the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security and the Secretary of Defense to prepare, 
                handle, and adjudicate such applications;
                    (B) 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
                    (C) 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 on 
        which the Comptroller General submits the report required under 
        subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit a report 
        to the appropriate congressional committees on the study 
        required by paragraph (1) that includes recommendations for 
        improving the implementation of this Act.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
            (2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (4) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives.
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