I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8851 

To require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to facilitate naturalization services for noncitizen veterans who have been removed from the 

United States or are inadmissible. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2024 

Mr. VARGAS (for himself, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. SWALWELL, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the 

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

A BILL 

To require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to 

facilitate naturalization services for noncitizen veterans 

who have been removed from the United States or are 

inadmissible. 

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 ‘‘Strengthening Citizen5 ship Services for Veterans Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8851 IH

1 (1) BIOMETRIC COLLECTION.—The term ‘‘bio2 metric collection’’ means the biometric collection de3 scribed in section 103.2(b)(9) of title 8, Code of 

4 Federal Regulations, during which the applicant pro5 vides information, including by providing finger6 prints, photographs, or signatures, to confirm his or 

7 her identity and to satisfy any requirement for back8 ground and security checks in connection with an 

9 application to become a naturalized citizen of the 

10 United States. 

11 (2) ELIGIBLE VETERAN.—The term ‘‘eligible 

12 veteran’’— 

13 (A) means a veteran who is a noncitizen; 

14 and 

15 (B) includes any veteran who— 

16 (i) was removed from the United 

17 States; or 

18 (ii) is not in the United States and is 

19 inadmissible under section 212(a) of the 

20 Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

21 1182(a)). 

22 (3) NATURALIZATION EXAMINATION.—The 

23 term ‘‘naturalization examination’’ means the 

24 English and civics test that each noncitizen is re25 quired to pass (unless exempted) pursuant to section 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8851 IH

1 312(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

2 U.S.C. 1423(a)) to become a naturalized citizen of 

3 the United States. 

4 (4) NONCITIZEN.—The term ‘‘noncitizen’’ 

5 means an individual who is not a citizen of the 

6 United States. 

7 (5) OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.—The term ‘‘oath of 

8 allegiance’’ means the affirmation and ceremony 

9 necessary to become a naturalized citizen of the 

10 United States. 

11 (6) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 

12 meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, 

13 United States Code. 

14 SEC. 3. NATURALIZATION EXAMINATIONS AND BIOMETRIC 

15 COLLECTION FOR ELIGIBLE VETERANS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of U.S. Citizenship 

17 and Immigration Services shall ensure that the naturaliza18 tion examination for each eligible veteran is conducted 

19 at— 

20 (1) a United States port of entry that is acces21 sible to the veteran; or 

22 (2) a United States embassy or consulate in the 

23 country in which the veteran resides. 

24 (b) BIOMETRIC COLLECTION.—The Director of U.S. 

25 Citizenship and Immigration Services shall ensure that biVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Aug 08, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8851.IH H8851

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8851 IH

1 ometric collection is made available for each eligible vet2 eran at— 

3 (1) a United States port of entry that is acces4 sible to the veteran; or 

5 (2) a United States embassy or consulate in the 

6 country in which the veteran resides. 

7 (c) OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.—The Director of U.S. 

8 Citizenship and Immigration Services shall ensure that the 

9 oath of allegiance for each eligible veteran is conducted 

10 at— 

11 (1) a United States port of entry that is acces12 sible to the veteran; or 

13 (2) a United States embassy or consulate in the 

14 country in which the veteran resides. 

15 SEC. 4. JOINT GUIDANCE FROM THE SECRETARY OF HOME16 LAND SECURITY AND THE SECRETARY OF 

17 STATE. 

18 The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Sec19 retary of State shall jointly issue guidance regarding— 

20 (1) the methods used by the Department of 

21 Homeland Security to conduct biometric collections, 

22 naturalization examinations, and oath ceremonies for 

23 eligible veterans at a United States port of entry, 

24 embassy, or consulate; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8851 IH

1 (2) the methods used by the Department of 

2 State to facilitate available space for the activities 

3 described in paragraph (1); and 

4 (3) quality assurance mechanisms to ensure eli5 gible veterans are able to complete the naturalization 

6 process at a port of entry, embassy, or consulate. 

7 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

9 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home10 land Security and the Secretary of State shall jointly sub11 mit a report to Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen12 ate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the 

13 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep14 resentatives, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

15 House of Representatives that contains an analysis of— 

16 (1) the implementation of this Act; and 

17 (2) the effectiveness of the guidance issued pur18 suant to section 4. 

19 (b) UPDATED GUIDANCE.—Not later than the last 

20 day of the 90-day period beginning on the date on which 

21 the report is submitted pursuant to subsection (a), the 

22 Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of 

23 State shall jointly update the guidance required under sec24 tion 4 to the extent any shortcomings are identified in the 

25 report. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 8851 IH

1 SEC. 6. RULEMAKING. 

2 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

4 promulgate regulations to implement this Act. 

5 SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY. 

6 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act shall take effect on 

7 the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment 

8 of this Act. 

9 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The requirements under this 

10 Act shall apply to all naturalization examinations involving 

11 eligible veterans with a pending naturalization application 

12 as of the date of the enactment of this Act or who submit 

13 a naturalization application after such date of enactment, 

14 regardless of the date on which the veterans were dis15 charged from the military or exited the United States. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS