I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5323 

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 9, 2006 

Mr. FARR (for himself and Mr. HOBSON) 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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) The United States is a nation of immi2 grants. 

3 (2) Immigrants strengthen the economic and 

4 political ties of the United States with other nations. 

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

6 compete in the global market. 

7 (4) Immigrants contribute to the Nation’s sci8 entific, literary, artistic, and other cultural re9 sources. 

10 (5) A properly regulated system of legal immi11 gration is in the Nation’s interest. 

12 (6) The Naturalization Oath of Allegiance im13 presses on new United States citizens— 

14 (A) the shared American values of liberty, 

15 democracy, and equal opportunity; and 

16 (B) the obligation to respect and abide by 

17 the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. 

18 (8) Naturalization rewards legal immigrants 

19 who have abided by all United States laws and Im20 migration and Naturalization Service regulations. 

21 (9) Naturalization bestows all the legal rights, 

22 privileges, and responsibilities of a United States cit23 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 Immigration 

11 and Naturalization Service and the Federal ju12 diciary (including travel and overtime ex13 penses). 

14 (B) Site rental, including audio equipment 

15 rental. 

16 (C) Logistical requirements, including 

17 sanitation. 

18 (D) Costs for printing brochures about the 

19 naturalization participants and the naturaliza20 tion process. 

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

22 otherwise available to the Immigration and Natu23 ralization Service to carry out naturalization activi24 ties shall be available to carry out this section. 


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1 (e) APPLICATION.—No amount may be made avail2 able under this section to an entity that is not part of 

3 the Immigration and Naturalization Service, for sup4 porting a ceremony described in subsection (b), unless— 

5 (1) the entity submits an application to the Sec6 retary of Homeland Security, in a form and manner 

7 specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

8 and 

9 (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security ap10 proves the application. 

Æ 


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