I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1941 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to waive certain naturalization 

requirements for United States nationals, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2021 

Mrs. RADEWAGEN (for herself, Mr. SABLAN, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, and Mr. 

SAN NICOLAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to waive 

certain naturalization requirements for United States nationals, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. WAIVER OF CERTAIN NATURALIZATION RE4 QUIREMENTS FOR UNITED STATES NATION5 ALS TO BECOME UNITED STATES CITIZENS. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) Both United States citizens and United 

8 States nationals are persons who owe permanent al9 legiance to the United States. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1941 IH

1 (2) United States nationals serve in the United 

2 States Armed Services at a very high per capita 

3 rate. 

4 (3) Commissioned military officers and certain 

5 security clearances require United States nationals 

6 to become United States citizens. 

7 (4) Many United States nationals desire to be8 come United States citizens. 

9 (5) United States nationals attend United 

10 States Department of Education curriculum-ap11 proved and regulated schools. 

12 (6) United States nationals serving in the mili13 tary or other United States national civilians desir14 ing to obtain United States citizenship should be en15 titled to citizenship on an expedited basis without 

16 having to move, having any further educational test17 ing required, or having any fee or cost assessed. 

18 (b) NATURALIZATION OF CERTAIN UNITED STATES

19 NATIONALS.—Section 325 of the Immigration and Na20 tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1436) is amended to read as fol21 lows: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1941 IH

1 ‘‘SEC. 325. NATIONALS BUT NOT CITIZENS OF THE UNITED 

2 STATES; RESIDENCE WITHIN OUTLYING POS3 SESSIONS. 

4 ‘‘(a) ELIGIBILITY FOR NATURALIZATION.—A person 

5 not a citizen who owes permanent allegiance to the United 

6 States, and who is otherwise qualified, may— 

7 ‘‘(1) if the person becomes a resident of any 

8 State, be naturalized upon compliance with the ap9 plicable requirements of this title, except that in ap10 plications for naturalization filed under the provi11 sions of this section, residence and physical presence 

12 within the United States within the meaning of this 

13 title shall include residence and physical presence 

14 within any of the outlying possessions of the United 

15 States; or 

16 ‘‘(2) if the person has continuously resided in 

17 any State or outlying possession of the United 

18 States from birth to the date of approval of the ap19 plication, be naturalized upon compliance with the 

20 applicable requirements of this title other than sec21 tions 312 and 337(a) and paragraphs (1) and (2) of 

22 section 316(a). 

23 ‘‘(b) JURISDICTION.—The Secretary shall provide 

24 that applications, interviews, filings, oaths, ceremonies, or 

25 other proceedings under this title, to the extent applicable, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1941 IH

1 are available in an outlying possession of the United 

2 States with respect to— 

3 ‘‘(1) any applicant for naturalization under sub4 section (a)(2); 

5 ‘‘(2) any applicant for naturalization under sec6 tion 328 or 329 who is a resident of an outlying pos7 session of the United States; or 

8 ‘‘(3) any child described in section 322(a)(5)(B) 

9 for whom an application is made under section 322. 

10 ‘‘(c) CONSTRUCTION.—In determining eligibility for 

11 naturalization under subsection (a)(2)— 

12 ‘‘(1) absence from any State or outlying posses13 sion of the United States for a continuous period of 

14 more than 180 days shall break the continuity of 

15 such residence, unless the person establishes to the 

16 satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland Security 

17 that the person did not abandon such person’s resi18 dence during such period; 

19 ‘‘(2) in conducting the investigation and exam20 ination of the person under sections 332(a) and 335, 

21 the Secretary of Homeland Security may in the dis22 cretion of the Secretary waive a personal interview 

23 of the person; and 

24 ‘‘(3) the Secretary of Homeland Security, in the 

25 discretion of the Secretary, may impose a reduced 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1941 IH

1 fee for an application for naturalization under such 

2 subsection compared to other applications for natu3 ralization, taking into account the relative costs of 

4 processing an application for naturalization under 

5 such subsection.’’. 

6 (c) CHILDREN OF UNITED STATES NATIONALS.— 

7 Section 322(a)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

8 (8 U.S.C. 1433(a)(5)) is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(5) The child— 

10 ‘‘(A) is temporarily present in the United 

11 States pursuant to a lawful admission, and is 

12 maintaining such lawful status; or 

13 ‘‘(B) is present and resides in an outlying 

14 possession of the United States’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS