I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2363 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for ceremonies 

on or near Independence Day for administering oaths of allegiance to 

legal immigrants whose applications for naturalization have been approved. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 12, 2009 

Mr. FARR (for himself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. SIRES, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. 

CAPPS, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. BILBRAY, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 

WEXLER, Mr. STARK, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. 

BLUMENAUER, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Ms. 

ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. ESHOO, and Mr. FILNER) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide 

for ceremonies on or near Independence Day for administering oaths of allegiance to legal immigrants whose 

applications for naturalization have been approved. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Proud to Be an Amer5 ican Citizen Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds as follows: 

3 (1) The United States is a nation of immi4 grants. 

5 (2) Immigrants strengthen the economic and 

6 political ties of the United States with other nations. 

7 (3) Immigrants enhance the Nation’s ability to 

8 compete in the global market. 

9 (4) Immigrants contribute to the Nation’s sci10 entific, literary, artistic, and other cultural re11 sources. 

12 (5) A properly regulated system of legal immi13 gration is in the Nation’s interest. 

14 (6) The Naturalization Oath of Allegiance im15 presses on new United States citizens— 

16 (A) the shared American values of liberty, 

17 democracy, and equal opportunity; and 

18 (B) the obligation to respect and abide by 

19 the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. 

20 (7) Naturalization rewards legal immigrants 

21 who have abided by all United States laws and regu22 lations. 

23 (8) Naturalization bestows all the legal rights, 

24 privileges, and responsibilities of a United States cit25 izen. 


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1 SEC. 3. INDEPENDENCE DAY CEREMONIES FOR OATHS OF 

2 ALLEGIANCE. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu4 rity shall make available funds each fiscal year to the Di5 rector of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to 

6 public or private nonprofit entities to support public cere7 monies for administering oaths of allegiance under section 

8 337(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

9 1448(a)) to legal immigrants whose applications for natu10 ralization have been approved. 

11 (b) CEREMONIES.—A ceremony conducted with funds 

12 under this section— 

13 (1) shall be held on a date that is on or near 

14 Independence Day; and 

15 (2) shall include appropriate outreach, ceremo16 nial, and celebratory activities. 

17 (c) SELECTION OF SITES.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 

19 Security shall select the site for each ceremony con20 ducted with funds under this section. 

21 (2) SELECTION PROCESS.—In selecting a site 

22 under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Se23 curity should consider— 

24 (A) the number of naturalization appli25 cants living in proximity to the site; and 


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1 (B) the degree of participation in and sup2 port for the ceremony by the local community 

3 at the site. 

4 (d) AMOUNTS AVAILABLE; USE OF FUNDS.— 

5 (1) AMOUNTS AVAILABLE.—Amounts made 

6 available under this section for each ceremony shall 

7 not exceed $5,000. 

8 (2) FUNDS.—Funds made available under this 

9 section may be used only for the following: 

10 (A) Costs of personnel of the Department 

11 of Homeland Security and the Federal judiciary 

12 (including travel and overtime expenses). 

13 (B) Site rental, including audio equipment 

14 rental. 

15 (C) Logistical requirements, including 

16 sanitation. 

17 (D) Costs for printing brochures about the 

18 naturalization participants and the naturaliza19 tion process. 

20 (3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds that are 

21 otherwise available to the Secretary of Homeland Se22 curity to carry out naturalization activities shall be 

23 available to carry out this section. 

24 (e) APPLICATION.—No amount may be made avail25 able under this section to an entity that is not part of 


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1 the Department of Homeland Security, for supporting a 

2 ceremony described in subsection (b), unless— 

3 (1) the entity submits an application to the Sec4 retary of Homeland Security, in a form and manner 

5 specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

6 and 

7 (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security ap8 proves the application. 

Æ 


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