I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2363 
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 ap-
proved. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2009 
Mr. FARR (for himself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. SHER-
MAN, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. SIRES, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. 
CAPPS, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. BILBRAY, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 
WEXLER, Mr. STARK, Ms. LORETTA
SANCHEZ
of California, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Ms. 
ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. ESHOO, and Mr. FILNER) 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 admin-
istering oaths of allegiance to legal immigrants whose 
applications for naturalization have been approved. 
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 ‘‘Proud to Be an Amer-
ican Citizen Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) The United States is a nation of immi-
grants. 
(2) Immigrants strengthen the economic and 
political ties of the United States with other nations. 
(3) Immigrants enhance the Nation’s ability to 
compete in the global market. 
(4) Immigrants contribute to the Nation’s sci-
entific, literary, artistic, and other cultural re-
sources. 
(5) A properly regulated system of legal immi-
gration is in the Nation’s interest. 
(6) The Naturalization Oath of Allegiance im-
presses on new United States citizens— 
(A) the shared American values of liberty, 
democracy, and equal opportunity; and 
(B) the obligation to respect and abide by 
the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. 
(7) Naturalization rewards legal immigrants 
who have abided by all United States laws and regu-
lations. 
(8) Naturalization bestows all the legal rights, 
privileges, and responsibilities of a United States cit-
izen. 
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SEC. 3. INDEPENDENCE DAY CEREMONIES FOR OATHS OF 
ALLEGIANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall make available funds each fiscal year to the Di-
rector of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to 
public or private nonprofit entities to support public cere-
monies for administering oaths of allegiance under section 
337(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1448(a)) to legal immigrants whose applications for natu-
ralization have been approved. 
(b) CEREMONIES.—A ceremony conducted with funds 
under this section— 
(1) shall be held on a date that is on or near 
Independence Day; and 
(2) shall include appropriate outreach, ceremo-
nial, and celebratory activities. 
(c) SELECTION OF SITES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall select the site for each ceremony con-
ducted with funds under this section. 
(2) SELECTION PROCESS.—In selecting a site 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity should consider— 
(A) the number of naturalization appli-
cants living in proximity to the site; and 
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(B) the degree of participation in and sup-
port for the ceremony by the local community 
at the site. 
(d) AMOUNTS AVAILABLE; USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) AMOUNTS
AVAILABLE.—Amounts made 
available under this section for each ceremony shall 
not exceed $5,000. 
(2) FUNDS.—Funds made available under this 
section may be used only for the following: 
(A) Costs of personnel of the Department 
of Homeland Security and the Federal judiciary 
(including travel and overtime expenses). 
(B) Site rental, including audio equipment 
rental. 
(C) 
Logistical 
requirements, 
including 
sanitation. 
(D) Costs for printing brochures about the 
naturalization participants and the naturaliza-
tion process. 
(3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds that are 
otherwise available to the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity to carry out naturalization activities shall be 
available to carry out this section. 
(e) APPLICATION.—No amount may be made avail-
able under this section to an entity that is not part of 
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the Department of Homeland Security, for supporting a 
ceremony described in subsection (b), unless— 
(1) the entity submits an application to the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, in a form and manner 
specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security; 
and 
(2) the Secretary of Homeland Security ap-
proves the application. 
Æ 
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