IB
Union Calendar No. 307
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 371
[Report No. 106–563]
To expedite the naturalization of aliens who served with special guerrilla
units in Laos.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 19, 1999
Mr. VENTO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
APRIL 6, 2000
Additional sponsors: Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mr.
HOLDEN, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MAT-
SUI, Mr. WEYGAND, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. OLVER, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii,
Mr. CONDIT, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. MINGE, Mr.
RAMSTAD, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Ms.
WOOLSEY, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. FRANK of Mas-
sachusetts, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Ms. WATERS, Mr.
BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Ms. LEE, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. FROST, Mr.
HUTCHINSON, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr.
KLECZKA, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. KIND of Wisconsin, Mr.
BORSKI, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. LUTHER, Mr. HERGER, Mr. POMBO, Mr.
PETRI, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. HORN, Mr. SABO,
Mr. CONYERS, Mrs. MYRICK, Mrs. BONO, Mr. BARCIA, Ms. SANCHEZ,
Mr. INSLEE, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. SWEENEY, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. LEACH, Mr.
DIAZ-BALART, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma,
Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. OBEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr.
SCARBOROUGH, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. BARRETT of Wis-
consin, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. PAS-
TOR, Mr. KOLBE, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. TAYLOR
of North Carolina, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. LEVIN, Mr.
OBERSTAR, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. RAHALL, Mrs. MEEK of Flor-
ida, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. MCNULTY, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. PITTS, Mr.
CAPUANO, Mr. FORBES, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms.
MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. WOLF, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr.
SHAYS, Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. WELDON of
Pennsylvania, Mr. TALENT, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. PETER-
SON of Minnesota, Mr. ROGAN, Mr. HYDE, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. NAD-
LER, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. WEINER, and Mr. KUYKENDALL
APRIL 6, 2000
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 19, 1999]
A BILL
To expedite the naturalization of aliens who served with
special guerrilla units in Laos.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hmong Veterans’ Natu-
ralization Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. EXEMPTION FROM ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIRE-
MENT FOR CERTAIN ALIENS WHO SERVED
WITH SPECIAL GUERRILLA UNITS OR IRREG-
ULAR FORCES IN LAOS.
The requirement of paragraph (1) of section 312(a) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1423(a)(1))
shall not apply to the naturalization of any person—
(1) who—
(A) was admitted into the United States as
a refugee from Laos pursuant to section 207 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1157); and
(B) served with a special guerrilla unit, or
irregular forces, operating from a base in Laos
in support of the United States military at any
time during the period beginning February 28,
1961, and ending September 18, 1978; or
(2) who—
(A) satisfies the requirement of paragraph
(1)(A); and
(B) was the spouse of a person described in
paragraph (1) on the day on which such de-
scribed person applied for admission into the
United States as a refugee.
SEC. 3. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION CONCERNING CIVICS RE-
QUIREMENT 
FOR 
CERTAIN 
ALIENS 
WHO
SERVED WITH SPECIAL GUERRILLA UNITS OR
IRREGULAR FORCES IN LAOS.
The Attorney General shall provide for special consid-
eration, as determined by the Attorney General, concerning
the requirement of paragraph (2) of section 312(a) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1423(a)(2))
with respect to the naturalization of any person described
in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 2 of this Act.
SEC. 4. DOCUMENTATION OF QUALIFYING SERVICE.
A person seeking an exemption under section 2 or spe-
cial consideration under section 3 shall submit to the Attor-
ney General documentation of their, or their spouse’s, serv-
ice with a special guerrilla unit, or irregular forces, de-
scribed in section 2(1)(B), in the form of—
(1) original documents;
(2) an affidavit of the serving person’s superior
officer;
(3) two affidavits from other individuals who
also were serving with such a special guerrilla unit,
or irregular forces, and who personally knew of the
person’s service; or
(4) other appropriate proof.
SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR EXEMPTION
AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.
In determining a person’s eligibility for an exemption
under section 2 or special consideration under section 3,
the Attorney General—
(1) shall review the refugee processing docu-
mentation for the person, or, in an appropriate case,
for the person and the person’s spouse, to verify that
the requirements of section 2 relating to refugee appli-
cations and admissions have been satisfied;
(2) shall consider the documentation submitted
by the person under section 4;
(3) shall request an advisory opinion from the
Secretary of Defense regarding the person’s, or their
spouse’s, service in a special guerrilla unit, or irreg-
ular forces, described in section 2(1)(B) and shall take
into account that opinion; and
(4) may consider any certification prepared by
the organization known as ‘‘Lao Veterans of America,
Inc.’’, or any similar organization maintaining
records with respect to Hmong veterans or their fami-
lies.
SEC. 6. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION AND PAYMENT OF
FEES.
This Act shall apply to a person only if the person’s
application for naturalization is filed, as provided in sec-
tion 334 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1445), with appropriate fees not later than 18 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 7. LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
total number of aliens who may be granted an exemption
under section 2 or special consideration under section 3,
or both, may not exceed 45,000.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to facilitate
the naturalization of aliens who served with special guer-
rilla units or irregular forces in Laos.’’.
Union Calendar No. 307
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 371
[Report No. 106–563]
A BILL
To expedite the naturalization of aliens who served
with special guerrilla units in Laos.
APRIL 6, 2000
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed