U.S. Citizenship Act
Latest action · Apr 28, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 18, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
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.
Cosponsors 153
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 18, 2021 to Aug 2, 2022; 80 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-NY | Adriano Espaillat | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-TX | Al Green | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-NJ | Albio Sires | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-MD | Anthony G. Brown | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-IL | Bradley Scott Schneider | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-MI | Brenda L. Lawrence | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-IL | Danny K. Davis | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-FL | Darren Soto | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-MD | David J. Trone | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
| D-FL | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | Original | Feb 18, 2021 |
Committees 12
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 | |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Apr 28, 2021 | |
| House | Armed Services Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Committee on House Administration | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Financial Services Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Oversight and Government Reform Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Homeland Security Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Feb 19, 2021 | |
| House | Intelligence (Permanent Select) Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Feb 18, 2021 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Feb 19, 2021 |
Actions 6
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 28, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
- Feb 19, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.
- Feb 19, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Feb 18, 2021Introduced in House
- Feb 18, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 31, February 18, 2021, page H538.
Printed hearings 3
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 117-783 | STOP GUN VIOLENCE: EXTREME RISK ORDER/"RED FLAG" LAWS103 pages | Judiciary Committee | Apr 28, 2021 |
| Serial No. 117-8 | UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AT THE BORDER: STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON THE WAY FORWARD74 pages | Homeland Security Committee | Apr 27, 2021 |
| — | DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2022529 pages | Appropriations Committee | Mar 10, 2021–May 26, 2021 |
CRS reports 6
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 6
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R46781 | Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues in the 117th Congress Archived | Report | Dec 28, 2022 |
| R47159 | Temporary Professional Foreign Workers: Background, Trends, and Policy Issues | Report | Jun 9, 2022 |
| R47028 | U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2022 Appropriations Archived | Report | Mar 31, 2022 |
| IN11603 | Central America’s Northern Triangle: Challenges for U.S. Policymakers in 2021 Archived | Insight | May 13, 2021 |
| R46764 | Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): By the Numbers | Report | Apr 14, 2021 |
Related bills 7
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 348 | U.S. Citizenship Act | Identical bill | Feb 22, 2021 |
| S 1514 | Border Transportation Efficiency Act | Related bill | Apr 29, 2021 |
| S 1515 | REMOTE Act | Related bill | Apr 29, 2021 |
| S 2954 | Fair Adjudications for Immigrants Act | Related bill | Oct 7, 2021 |
| HR 3194 | U.S. Citizenship Act | Reintroduced Bill | Dec 17, 2024 |
| HR 3493 | Family Reunification Act of 2021 | Related bill | Nov 1, 2022 |
| HR 5517 | Fair Adjudications for Immigrants Act | Related bill | Nov 1, 2022 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide an earned path to citizenship, to address the root causes of migration and responsibly manage the southern border, and to reform the immigrant visa system, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- U.S. Citizenship Act
- Short Title(s) as Introduced for portions of this bill
- Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- 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
- 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
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 18, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
