I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3505
To provide for transitional employment eligibility for qualified lawful perma-
nent resident alien airport security screeners until their naturalization
process is completed, and to expedite that process.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 17, 2001
Ms. SOLIS (for herself, Ms. PELOSI, and Mr. HONDA) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To provide for transitional employment eligibility for quali-
fied lawful permanent resident alien airport security
screeners until their naturalization process is completed,
and to expedite that process.
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 ‘‘Airport Security Per-
sonnel Protection Act’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) AIRPORT SECURITY SCREENER.—The term
‘‘airport security screener’’ means an individual who
is employed to perform security screening services at
an airport in the United States.
(2) LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIEN.—
The term ‘‘lawful permanent resident alien’’ means
an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence,
as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)).
(3) QUALIFIED LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT
ALIEN DEFINED.—The term ‘‘qualified lawful per-
manent resident alien’’ means an alien with respect
to whom a certification has been made by the Under
Secretary of Transportation for Security under sec-
tion 111(e)(1)(B) of the Aviation and Transpor-
tation Security Act (Public Law 107–71), as added
by section 3 of this Act.
SEC. 3. TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY FOR
QUALIFIED LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT
AIRPORT SECURITY SCREENERS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 111 of the Aviation and
Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107–71) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(e) SPECIAL TRANSITION RULE FOR QUALIFIED
LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any rule
or regulation promulgated to implement the citizen-
ship requirement in section 44935(e)(2)(A)(ii) of
title 49, United States Code, as amended by sub-
section (a), or any other provision of law prohibiting
the employment of aliens by the Federal Govern-
ment, an alien shall be eligible for hiring or contin-
ued employment as an airport security screener until
the naturalization process for such alien is com-
pleted, if—
‘‘(A) the Attorney General makes the cer-
tification described in paragraph (2) to the
Under Secretary of Transportation for Security
with respect to the alien; and
‘‘(B) the Under Secretary of Transpor-
tation for Security makes the certification de-
scribed in paragraph (3) to the Attorney Gen-
eral with respect to such alien.
‘‘(2) CERTIFICATION BY THE ATTORNEY GEN-
ERAL.—A certification under this paragraph is a
certification by the Attorney General, upon the re-
quest of the Under Secretary of Transportation for
Security, with respect to an alien described in para-
graph (1) that—
‘‘(A) the alien is a lawful permanent resi-
dent alien (as defined in section 2 of the Air-
port Security Personnel Protection Act); and
‘‘(B)(i) an application for naturalization
has been approved, and the alien is awaiting the
holding of a ceremony for the administration of
the oath of renunciation and allegiance, as re-
quired by section 337 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1448);
‘‘(ii) an application for naturalization filed
by the alien prior to the date of enactment of
this Act is pending before the Immigration and
Naturalization Service but has not been finally
adjudicated; or
‘‘(iii) the alien—
‘‘(I) satisfies, or will satisfy within
one year of the date of certification if the
alien remains in the United States, the res-
idence requirements applicable to the alien
in the Immigration and Nationality Act, or
any other Act that are necessary for eligi-
bility for naturalization; and
‘‘(II) not more than 180 days after
the date of enactment of the Airport Secu-
rity Personnel Protection Act, filed under
section 334(f) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act an application for a declara-
tion of intention to become a United States
citizen.
‘‘(3) CERTIFICATION
BY
THE
UNDER
SEC-
RETARY
OF
TRANSPORTATION.—A 
certification
under this paragraph is a certification by the Under
Secretary of Transportation for Security with re-
spect to an alien described in paragraph (1) that—
‘‘(A) the Under Secretary has decided to
hire or continue the employment of such alien;
and
‘‘(B) the alien—
‘‘(i) meets the qualifications to be a
security screener under section 44935(f);
‘‘(ii) was employed as an airport secu-
rity screener as of the date of enactment
of this Act, as determined by the Under
Secretary of Transportation for Security;
and
‘‘(iii) has undergone and successfully
completed an employment investigation (in-
cluding a criminal history record check) re-
quired by section 44935(e)(2)(B) of such
title, as amended by subsection (a).’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall be deemed effective as if included in
the enactment of the Aviation and Transportation Secu-
rity Act.
SEC. 4. EXPEDITED NATURALIZATION FOR QUALIFIED LAW-
FUL PERMANENT RESIDENT AIRPORT SECU-
RITY SCREENERS.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of enabling
qualified lawful permanent resident aliens to satisfy
in a timely manner the citizenship requirement in
section 44935(e)(2)(A)(ii) of title 49, United States
Code, the Attorney General shall expedite—
(A) the processing and adjudication of an
application for naturalization filed by any quali-
fied lawful permanent resident alien who was
employed as an airport security screener as of
the date of enactment of the Aviation and
Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107–
71); and
(B) if such application for naturalization is
approved, the holding of a ceremony for admin-
istration of the oath of renunciation and alle-
giance to such qualified lawful permanent resi-
dent alien, as required by section 337 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1448).
(b) DEADLINES FOR COMPLETED ACTION.—The At-
torney General shall complete the actions described in sub-
section (a)—
(1) not later than 30 days after the date of en-
actment of this Act, in the case of a qualified lawful
permanent resident alien with respect to whom an
application for naturalization is approved but such
alien is awaiting the holding of a ceremony for the
administration of the oath of renunciation and alle-
giance, as required by section 337 of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1448);
(2) not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, in the case of a qualified law-
ful permanent resident alien with respect to whom
an application for naturalization was pending on the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(3) not later than 180 days after the date on
which an application for naturalization is received by
the Attorney General, in the case of a qualified law-
ful permanent resident alien with respect to whom
an application for naturalization is filed after the
date of enactment of this Act.
(c) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this
section may be construed to lower the standards of quali-
fication set forth in title III of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) that applicants for
naturalization must meet in order to become naturalized
citizens of the United States.
Æ