II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2025

To facilitate the naturalization of aliens who served with special guerrilla

units or irregular forces in Laos.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 2, 2000

Mr. GRAMS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To facilitate the naturalization of aliens who served with

special guerrilla units or irregular forces in Laos.

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 Hmong Veterans’ Natu5 ralization Act of 2000’’.
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1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS AS TO UNDERSTANDING THE

2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR CERTAIN ALIENS

3 WHO SERVED WITH SPECIAL GUERRILLA

4 UNITS OR IRREGULAR FORCES IN LAOS.

5 (a) PROHIBITION.—No alien described in subsection

6 (b) shall be naturalized as a citizen of the United States

7 upon his own application who cannot demonstrate an un8 derstanding of the English language, including an ability

9 to speak words in ordinary usage in the English language,

10 except that the requirements of this subsection shall be

11 met if the applicant can speak simple words and phrases

12 to the end that the applicant can perform daily functions

13 and that no extraordinary or unreasonable condition shall

14 be imposed upon the applicant.

15 (b) COVERED ALIENS.—An alien described in this

16 subsection is an alien—

17 (1) who—

18 (A) was admitted into the United States as

19 a refugee from Laos pursuant to section 207 of

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

21 1157); and

22 (B) served with a special guerrilla unit, or

23 irregular forces, operating from a base in Laos

24 in support of the United States military at any

25 time during the period beginning February 28,

26 1961, and ending September 18, 1978; or
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1 (2) who—

2 (A) satisfies the requirement of paragraph

3 (1)(A); and

4 (B) was the spouse of a person described

5 in paragraph (1) on the day on which such de6 scribed person applied for admission into the

7 United States as a refugee.

8 SEC. 3. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION CONCERNING CIVICS RE9 QUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN ALIENS WHO

10 SERVED WITH SPECIAL GUERRILLA UNITS OR

11 IRREGULAR FORCES IN LAOS.

12 The Attorney General shall provide for special consid13 eration, as determined by the Attorney General, con14 cerning the requirement of paragraph (2) of section

15 312(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.

16 1423(a)(2)) with respect to the naturalization of any per17 son described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 2 of this

18 Act.

19 SEC. 4. DOCUMENTATION OF QUALIFYING SERVICE.

20 A person seeking an exemption under section 2 or

21 special consideration under section 3, or an individual fil22 ing on behalf of that person, shall submit to the Attorney

23 General documentation of the service by the person or the

24 person’s spouse with a special guerrilla unit, or irregular

25 forces, described in section 2(1)(B), in the form of—
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1 (1) original documents;

2 (2) an affidavit of the serving person’s superior

3 officer;

4 (3) two affidavits from other individuals who

5 also were serving with such a special guerrilla unit,

6 or irregular forces, and who personally knew of the

7 person’s service; or

8 (4) other appropriate proof.

9 SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR EXEMPTION

10 AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.

11 In determining a person’s eligibility for an exemption

12 under section 2 or special consideration under section 3,

13 the Attorney General—

14 (1) shall review the refugee processing docu15 mentation for the person, or, in an appropriate case,

16 for the person and the person’s spouse, to verify that

17 the requirements of section 2 relating to refugee ap18 plications and admissions have been satisfied;

19 (2) shall consider the documentation submitted

20 by the person, or by the individual filing on behalf

21 of a person, under section 4; and

22 (3) shall request an advisory opinion from the

23 Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central In24 telligence regarding the person’s or their spouse’s

25 service in a special guerrilla unit, or irregular forces,
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1 described in section 2(1)(B) and shall take into ac2 count that opinion.

3 SEC. 6. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION AND PAYMENT OF

4 FEES.

5 This Act shall apply to a person only if the person’s

6 application for naturalization is filed, as provided in sec7 tion 334 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.

8 1445), with appropriate fees not later than 18 months

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act.

10 SEC. 7. LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES.

11 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the

12 total number of aliens who may be granted an exemption

13 under section 2 or special consideration under section 3,

14 or both, may not exceed 45,000.

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