[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2681 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2681

      To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for 
           naturalization for certain high school graduates.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 3, 2009

   Mr. Baca introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for 
           naturalization for certain high school graduates.

    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--
            (1) the ``People Resolved to Obtain an Understanding of 
        Democracy Act''; or
            (2) the ``P.R.O.U.D. Act''.

SEC. 2. NATURALIZATION FOR CERTAIN U.S. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 320 the 
following:

``SEC. 321. CITIZENSHIP FOR CERTAIN U.S. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.

    ``(a) Requirements Deemed Satisfied.--In the case of an alien 
described in subsection (b), the alien shall be deemed to have 
satisfied the requirements of--
            ``(1) section 312(a); and
            ``(2) section 316(a), if the alien sustains the burden of 
        establishing that the alien has been a person of good moral 
        character during the 6-year period preceding the date on which 
        the alien submits the application described in subsection (c).
    ``(b) Provisions Waived.--In the case of an alien described in 
subsection (b), the alien shall be eligible for naturalization under 
this title without regard to the following provisions:
            ``(1) Section 318.
            ``(2) The second sentence of section 334(b).
    ``(c) Aliens Described.--An alien is described in this subsection 
if the alien is under 25 years of age on the date on which the alien 
submits an application for naturalization under section 334 that 
contains the following:
            ``(1) Transcripts from public or private schools in the 
        United States that demonstrate the following:
                    ``(A) The alien completed grades 6 through 12 in 
                the United States and was graduated with a high school 
                diploma.
                    ``(B) The alien completed a curriculum that 
                reflects knowledge of United States history, 
                Government, and civics.
            ``(2) A copy of the alien's high school diploma.
    ``(d) Reduced Fee.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall reduce 
the naturalization application fee for an alien described in subsection 
(b) by 50 percent.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Immigration 
and Nationality Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 320 the following:

``Sec. 321. Citizenship for certain U.S. high school graduates.''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to 
applicants for naturalization who apply for naturalization on or after 
such date.
    (d) Regulations.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
promulgate regulations to carry out this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
                                 <all>