IIB 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5323 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2006 

Received 

NOVEMBER 13, 2006 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

AN ACT 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Proud to Be an Amer3 ican Citizen Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 The Congress finds as follows: 

6 (1) The United States is a nation of immi7 grants. 

8 (2) Immigrants strengthen the economic and 

9 political ties of the United States with other nations. 

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

11 compete in the global market. 

12 (4) Immigrants contribute to the Nation’s sci13 entific, literary, artistic, and other cultural re14 sources. 

15 (5) A properly regulated system of legal immi16 gration is in the Nation’s interest. 

17 (6) The Naturalization Oath of Allegiance im18 presses on new United States citizens— 

19 (A) the shared American values of liberty, 

20 democracy, and equal opportunity; and 

21 (B) the obligation to respect and abide by 

22 the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. 

23 (8) Naturalization rewards legal immigrants 

24 who have abided by all Federal laws and Depart25 ment of Homeland Security regulations. 


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1 (9) Naturalization bestows all the legal rights, 

2 privileges, and responsibilities of a United States cit3 izen. 

4 SEC. 3. INDEPENDENCE DAY CEREMONIES FOR OATHS OF 

5 ALLEGIANCE. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu7 rity shall make available funds each fiscal year to the Di8 rector of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to 

9 public or private nonprofit entities to support public cere10 monies for administering oaths of allegiance under section 

11 337(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

12 1448(a)) to legal immigrants whose applications for natu13 ralization have been approved. 

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

15 under this section— 

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

17 Independence Day; and 

18 (2) shall include appropriate outreach, ceremo19 nial, and celebratory activities. 

20 (c) SELECTION OF SITES.— 

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

22 Security shall select the site for each ceremony con23 ducted with funds under this section. 


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

2 under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Se3 curity should consider— 

4 (A) the number of naturalization appli5 cants living in proximity to the site; and 

6 (B) the degree of participation in and sup7 port for the ceremony by the local community 

8 at the site. 

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

10 (1) AMOUNTS AVAILABLE.—Amounts made 

11 available under this section for each ceremony shall 

12 not exceed $5,000. 

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

14 section may be used only for the following: 

15 (A) Costs of personnel of U.S. Citizenship 

16 and Immigration Services and the Federal judi17 ciary (including travel and overtime expenses). 

18 (B) Site rental, including audio equipment 

19 rental. 

20 (C) Logistical requirements, including 

21 sanitation. 

22 (D) Costs for printing brochures about the 

23 naturalization participants and the naturaliza24 tion process. 


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

2 otherwise available to the Department of Homeland 

3 Security to carry out naturalization activities shall 

4 be available to carry out this section. 

5 (e) APPLICATION.—No amount may be made avail6 able under this section to an entity that is not part of 

7 the Department of Homeland Security, for supporting a 

8 ceremony described in subsection (b), unless— 

9 (1) the entity submits an application to the Sec10 retary of Homeland Security, in a form and manner 

11 specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

12 and 

13 (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security ap14 proves the application. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 

2006. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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