I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3776 
To prohibit Executive agencies from using the derogatory term ‘‘alien’’ to 
refer to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United 
States, to amend chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, to establish 
a uniform definition for the term ‘‘foreign national’’, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 16, 2019 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, 
Mr. VARGAS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GALLEGO, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. CORREA, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. VEASEY, 
Ms. OMAR, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, 
and Mr. SOTO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Over-
sight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prohibit Executive agencies from using the derogatory 
term ‘‘alien’’ to refer to an individual who is not a 
citizen or national of the United States, to amend chap-
ter 1 of title 1, United States Code, to establish a 
uniform definition for the term ‘‘foreign national’’, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Correcting Hurtful and 
Alienating Names in Government Expression (CHANGE) 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MODERNIZATION OF LANGUAGE REFERRING TO IN-
DIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT CITIZENS OR NA-
TIONALS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
An Executive agency (as defined in section 105 of 
title 5, United States Code) shall not use the following 
terms in any proposed or final rule, regulation, interpreta-
tion, publication, other document, display, or sign issued 
by the agency after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
except to the extent that the term is used in quoting or 
reproducing text written by a source other than an officer 
(as defined in section 2104 of title 5, United States Code) 
or employee (as defined in section 2105 of title 5, United 
States Code) of the agency: 
(1) The term ‘‘alien’’, when used to refer to an 
individual who is not a citizen or national of the 
United States. 
(2) The term ‘‘illegal alien’’ when used to refer 
to an individual who is unlawfully present in the 
United States or who lacks a lawful immigration 
status in the United States. 
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SEC. 3. UNIFORM DEFINITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 1, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 9. Definition of ‘foreign national’ 
‘‘In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, 
or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of various 
administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, 
the term ‘foreign national’ means any individual other 
than an individual— 
‘‘(1) who is a citizen of the United States; or 
‘‘(2) though not a citizen of the United States, 
who owes permanent allegiance to the United 
States.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘9. Definition of ‘foreign national’.’’. 
SEC. 4. REFERENCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any reference in any Federal 
statute, rule, regulation, Executive order, publication, or 
other document of the United States— 
(1) to the term ‘‘alien’’, when used to refer to 
an individual who is not a citizen or national of the 
United States, is deemed to refer to the term ‘‘for-
eign national’’; and 
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(2) to the term ‘‘illegal alien’’, when used to 
refer to an individual who is unlawfully present in 
the United States or who lacks a lawful immigration 
status in the United States, is deemed to refer to 
the term ‘‘undocumented foreign national’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 421(5)(A)(ii)(II) of the Congres-
sional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 (2 U.S.C. 658(5)(A)(ii)(II)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘illegal aliens’’ and inserting ‘‘undocu-
mented foreign nationals’’. 
(2) Section 432(e) of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 240(e)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘illegal alien’’ and inserting ‘‘undocumented for-
eign national’’. 
(3) Section 439 of the Antiterrorism and Effec-
tive Death Penalty Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1252c) is 
amended in the section heading by striking ‘‘ILLE-
GAL
ALIENS’’ and inserting ‘‘UNDOCUMENTED 
FOREIGN NATIONALS’’. 
(4) Section 280(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1330(b)(3)(A)(iii)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘illegal aliens’’ and inserting 
‘‘undocumented foreign nationals’’. 
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(5) Section 286(r)(3)(ii) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(r)(3)(ii)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘illegal aliens’’ and inserting 
‘‘undocumented foreign nationals’’. 
(6) Section 501 of the Immigration Reform and 
Control Act of 1986 (8 U.S.C. 1365) is amended— 
(A) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘IL-
LEGAL
ALIENS’’ and inserting ‘‘UNDOCU-
MENTED FOREIGN NATIONALS’’; 
(B) in the subsection heading for sub-
section (b), by striking ‘‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’’ and 
inserting ‘‘UNDOCUMENTED FOREIGN NATION-
ALS’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘illegal alien’’ each place 
such term appears and inserting ‘‘undocu-
mented foreign national’’. 
(7) Section 332 of the Omnibus Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 1997 (8 U.S.C. 1366) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘illegal aliens’’ each place such term 
appears and inserting ‘‘undocumented foreign na-
tionals’’. 
(8) Section 411(d) of the Personal Responsi-
bility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
1996 (8 U.S.C. 1621(d)) is amended in the sub-
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section heading by striking ‘‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’’ and 
inserting ‘‘UNDOCUMENTED FOREIGN NATIONALS’’. 
(9) Section 106(e) of the Public Works Employ-
ment Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6705(e)) is amended 
in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘ILLEGAL 
ALIENS’’ and inserting ‘‘UNDOCUMENTED FOREIGN 
NATIONALS’’. 
(10) Section 40125(a)(2) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘illegal aliens’’ 
and inserting ‘‘undocumented foreign nationals’’. 
Æ 
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