I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3328 

To limit the fees charged and collected from applicants for naturalization 

and related benefits based on poverty, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2019 

Mrs. TORRES of California (for herself, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. OMAR, Mr. 

SIRES, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, and Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To limit the fees charged and collected from applicants for 

naturalization and related benefits based on poverty, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Citizenship Afford5 ability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PERMANENT FULL AND PARTIAL INCOME-BASED 

7 NATURALIZATION FEE WAIVERS. 

8 Section 344(b) of the Immigration and Nationality 

9 Act (8 U.S.C. 1455(b)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in the enumerator, by striking ‘‘(b)’’ and in2 serting ‘‘(b)(1)’’; and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act 

5 or any other law, the following fee waivers shall 

6 apply: 

7 ‘‘(A) In the case of an alien whose income 

8 is less than 150 percent of the Federal poverty 

9 line, no fee shall be charged or collected for— 

10 ‘‘(i) the filing of an application for 

11 naturalization or the issuance of a certifi12 cate of naturalization upon admission to 

13 citizenship; 

14 ‘‘(ii) the filing of an application to 

15 preserve residence for naturalization pur16 poses; 

17 ‘‘(iii) the filing of an application for a 

18 replacement naturalization or citizenship 

19 document; 

20 ‘‘(iv) the filing of an application for 

21 citizenship and issuance of certificate of 

22 citizenship under section 322 (Form N– 

23 600K); 

24 ‘‘(v) the filing of an application for 

25 certificate of citizenship (Form N–600); or 


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1 ‘‘(vi) a biometrics capture or back2 ground check associated with any applica3 tion described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and 

4 (iv). 

5 ‘‘(B) In the case of an alien whose income 

6 is less than 250 percent of the Federal poverty 

7 line, not more than 50 percent of the applicable 

8 fee shall be charged or collected for— 

9 ‘‘(i) the filing of an application for 

10 naturalization or the issuance of a certifi11 cate of naturalization upon admission to 

12 citizenship; 

13 ‘‘(ii) the filing of an application to 

14 preserve residence for naturalization pur15 poses; 

16 ‘‘(iii) the filing of an application for a 

17 replacement naturalization or citizenship 

18 document; 

19 ‘‘(iv) the filing of an application for 

20 citizenship and issuance of certificate of 

21 citizenship under section 322 (Form N– 

22 600K); 

23 ‘‘(v) the filing of an application for 

24 certificate of citizenship (Form N–600); or 


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1 ‘‘(vi) a biometrics capture or back2 ground check associated with any applica3 tion described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and 

4 (iv). 

5 ‘‘(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of 

6 law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall con7 sider the receipt of means-tested benefits as a cri8 terion for the purpose of demonstrating eligibility for 

9 a fee waiver under paragraph (2). 

10 ‘‘(4) In this subsection, the term ‘Federal pov11 erty line’ has the meaning given such term by the 

12 Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 

13 as revised annually by the Secretary of Health and 

14 Human Services in accordance with section 673(2) 

15 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 

16 (42 U.S.C. 9902).’’. 

Æ 


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