U.S. Citizenship Act

Bill: 117-s-348
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2021-02-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Adult education and literacy
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Advisory bodies
Afghanistan
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Alternative and renewable resources
Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Arizona
Asia
Assault and harassment offenses
Aviation and airports
Border security and unlawful immigration
Business education
California
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Citizenship and naturalization
Civil actions and liability
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Crime prevention
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Customs enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Justice
Detention of persons
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Disaster relief and insurance
Domestic violence and child abuse
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Economic development
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
El Salvador
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency communications systems
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee hiring
Employee performance
Employment and training programs
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Family relationships
Financial services and investments
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign and international banking
Foreign labor
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Guatemala
Health personnel
Health technology, devices, supplies
Higher education
Honduras
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Human rights
Human trafficking
Immigration status and procedures
Indian lands and resources rights
Intergovernmental relations
International organizations and cooperation
Iraq
Judicial procedure and administration
Judicial review and appeals
Labor standards
Latin America
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Lawyers and legal services
Licensing and registrations
Marine and inland water transportation
Marriage and family status
Medical education
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mexico
Middle East
Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Natural disasters
Northern Mariana Islands
Nutrition and diet
Organized crime
Pedestrians and bicycling
Performance measurement
Philippines
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public contracts and procurement
Racial and ethnic relations
Railroads
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Right of privacy
Rule of law and government transparency
Rural conditions and development
Sex offenses
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Small business
Smuggling and trafficking
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
State and local government operations
Syria
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Technology assessment
Telephone and wireless communication
Texas
Transportation safety and security
Travel and tourism
U.S. territories and protectorates
United Nations
User charges and fees
Violent crime
Visas and passports
Wages and earnings
Water use and supply
Western Hemisphere
Women's employment
Women's health
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2021-02-22
text: 

U.S. Citizenship Act

 
This bill establishes a path to citizenship for certain undocumented individuals. The bill also replaces the term 
alien
 with 
noncitizen
 in the immigration statutes and addresses other related issues.
 
Specifically, the bill establishes a new status of
 lawful prospective immigrant
. This status shall be available to an applying noncitizen who meets certain requirements, including being continually present in the United States from January 1, 2021, and passing background checks. After at least five years with this status, an eligible noncitizen may apply for and receive permanent resident status. 
 
The bill also provides permanent resident status to certain applying noncitizens, specifically for eligible noncitizens who (1) entered the United States as a minor, (2) were eligible for temporary protected status or deferred enforced departure on January 1, 2017, or (3) worked a certain amount of agricultural labor in the five years prior to applying.
 
Among other things, the bill also
 
 
redefines for immigration purposes the term 
conviction
 to exclude convictions that have been expunged or vacated, 
 
requires the Department of State to implement a strategy to advance reforms in Central America and address key factors contributing to migration from the region to the United States, 
 
requires the State Department to establish refugee processing centers in Central America, 
 
requires Customs and Border Patrol sectors and stations to have a certain number of employees with certain qualifications such as paramedic training, 
 
generally prohibits religious discrimination in granting or denying immigration benefits, and 
 
establishes grant programs for providing training and services to immigrants.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-02-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2021-02-22
text: Introduced in Senate