I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8851 
To require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to facilitate naturaliza-
tion services for noncitizen veterans who have been removed from the 
United States or are inadmissible. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2024 
Mr. VARGAS (for himself, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, 
Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. SWALWELL, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to 
facilitate naturalization services for noncitizen veterans 
who have been removed from the United States or are 
inadmissible. 
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 ‘‘Strengthening Citizen-
ship Services for Veterans Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) BIOMETRIC COLLECTION.—The term ‘‘bio-
metric collection’’ means the biometric collection de-
scribed in section 103.2(b)(9) of title 8, Code of 
Federal Regulations, during which the applicant pro-
vides information, including by providing finger-
prints, photographs, or signatures, to confirm his or 
her identity and to satisfy any requirement for back-
ground and security checks in connection with an 
application to become a naturalized citizen of the 
United States. 
(2) ELIGIBLE
VETERAN.—The term ‘‘eligible 
veteran’’— 
(A) means a veteran who is a noncitizen; 
and 
(B) includes any veteran who— 
(i) was removed from the United 
States; or 
(ii) is not in the United States and is 
inadmissible under section 212(a) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)). 
(3) 
NATURALIZATION
EXAMINATION.—The 
term 
‘‘naturalization 
examination’’ 
means 
the 
English and civics test that each noncitizen is re-
quired to pass (unless exempted) pursuant to section 
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312(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1423(a)) to become a naturalized citizen of 
the United States. 
(4) 
NONCITIZEN.—The 
term 
‘‘noncitizen’’ 
means an individual who is not a citizen of the 
United States. 
(5) OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.—The term ‘‘oath of 
allegiance’’ means the affirmation and ceremony 
necessary to become a naturalized citizen of the 
United States. 
(6) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 3. NATURALIZATION EXAMINATIONS AND BIOMETRIC 
COLLECTION FOR ELIGIBLE VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration Services shall ensure that the naturaliza-
tion examination for each eligible veteran is conducted 
at— 
(1) a United States port of entry that is acces-
sible to the veteran; or 
(2) a United States embassy or consulate in the 
country in which the veteran resides. 
(b) BIOMETRIC COLLECTION.—The Director of U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services shall ensure that bi-
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ometric collection is made available for each eligible vet-
eran at— 
(1) a United States port of entry that is acces-
sible to the veteran; or 
(2) a United States embassy or consulate in the 
country in which the veteran resides. 
(c) OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.—The Director of U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services shall ensure that the 
oath of allegiance for each eligible veteran is conducted 
at— 
(1) a United States port of entry that is acces-
sible to the veteran; or 
(2) a United States embassy or consulate in the 
country in which the veteran resides. 
SEC. 4. JOINT GUIDANCE FROM THE SECRETARY OF HOME-
LAND SECURITY AND THE SECRETARY OF 
STATE. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Sec-
retary of State shall jointly issue guidance regarding— 
(1) the methods used by the Department of 
Homeland Security to conduct biometric collections, 
naturalization examinations, and oath ceremonies for 
eligible veterans at a United States port of entry, 
embassy, or consulate; 
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(2) the methods used by the Department of 
State to facilitate available space for the activities 
described in paragraph (1); and 
(3) quality assurance mechanisms to ensure eli-
gible veterans are able to complete the naturalization 
process at a port of entry, embassy, or consulate. 
SEC. 5. REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home-
land Security and the Secretary of State shall jointly sub-
mit a report to Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
ate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
House of Representatives that contains an analysis of— 
(1) the implementation of this Act; and 
(2) the effectiveness of the guidance issued pur-
suant to section 4. 
(b) UPDATED GUIDANCE.—Not later than the last 
day of the 90-day period beginning on the date on which 
the report is submitted pursuant to subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of 
State shall jointly update the guidance required under sec-
tion 4 to the extent any shortcomings are identified in the 
report. 
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SEC. 6. RULEMAKING. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
promulgate regulations to implement this Act. 
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY. 
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act shall take effect on 
the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The requirements under this 
Act shall apply to all naturalization examinations involving 
eligible veterans with a pending naturalization application 
as of the date of the enactment of this Act or who submit 
a naturalization application after such date of enactment, 
regardless of the date on which the veterans were dis-
charged from the military or exited the United States. 
Æ 
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