Citizenship Affordability Act

Bill: 116-s-1862
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2019-06-13
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Citizenship and naturalization

Immigrant health and welfare

Immigration status and procedures

Poverty and welfare assistance

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2019-06-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-06-13
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Citizenship Affordability Act</b></p> <p>This bill provides for waivers and reductions for various naturalization-related fees for individuals below certain income levels. For an individual whose income is less than 150% of the federal poverty line, no fees shall be charged for various applications, such as applications for naturalization or for a replacement citizenship document. For individuals whose income is less than 250% of the federal poverty line, not more than 50% of a naturalization-related fee shall be charged or collected.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1862 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 13, 2019 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Ms. Cortez Masto , Mr. Blumenthal , Mrs. Murray , Ms. Harris , Ms. Cantwell , Ms. Hirono , and Ms. Rosen ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To limit the fees charged and collected from applicants for naturalization and related benefits based on poverty, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Citizenship Affordability Act . 2. Permanent full and partial income-based naturalization fee waivers Section 344(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1455(b) ) is amended— (1) in the enumerator, by striking (b) and inserting (b)(1) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or any other law, the following fee waivers shall apply: (A) In the case of an alien whose income is less than 150 percent of the Federal poverty line, no fee shall be charged or collected for— (i) the filing of an application for naturalization or the issuance of a certificate of naturalization upon admission to citizenship; (ii) the filing of an application to preserve residence for naturalization purposes; (iii) the filing of an application for a replacement naturalization or citizenship document; (iv) the filing of an application for citizenship and issuance of certificate of citizenship under section 322 (Form N–600K); (v) the filing of an application for certificate of citizenship (Form N–600); or (vi) a biometrics capture or background check associated with any application described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv). (B) In the case of an alien whose income is less than 250 percent of the Federal poverty line, not more than 50 percent of the applicable fee shall be charged or collected for— (i) the filing of an application for naturalization or the issuance of a certificate of naturalization upon admission to citizenship; (ii) the filing of an application to preserve residence for naturalization purposes; (iii) the filing of an application for a replacement naturalization or citizenship document; (iv) the filing of an application for citizenship and issuance of certificate of citizenship under section 322 (Form N–600K); (v) the filing of an application for certificate of citizenship (Form N–600); or (vi) a biometrics capture or background check associated with any application described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv). (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider the receipt of means-tested benefits as a criterion for the purpose of demonstrating eligibility for a fee waiver under paragraph (2). (4) In this subsection, the term Federal poverty line has the meaning given such term by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as revised annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in accordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 ( 42 U.S.C. 9902 ). .