,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cefc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bh1 #bjag,ms4 
,barragn 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,gallego1   
,mrs4 ,napolitano1 and ,mr4 ,correa7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,immigration and ,nationality ,act to   
recognize the service of veterans of the
 armed forces by providing a more       
navigable and accommodating pathway for 
veterans honorably discharged from the  
,united ,states military to naturalize  
and seek citizenship1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans' ,pathway 
to ,citizenship ,act of #bjag4  #b4     
,naturalization of veterans during      
periods of hostilities  7a7             
,naturalization of veterans during      
periods of hostilities ,section #cbi of 
the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #addj7 is amended by      
adding at the end the following3  7d7   

,remedies  7#a7 ,immigration status     
7,a7 ,assumption of ,lawful ,permanent  
,resident status ,for purposes of this  
title1 any current or former member of  
the ,armed ,forces who would be eligible
 for naturalization under this section  
but is not by reason of a failure to    
complete a specified period of residence
 or physical presence within the ,united
 ,states under this title or failure to 
maintain status as a lawful permanent   
resident shall1 upon application for    
naturalization1 be deemed to be a lawful
 permanent resident and to have         
fulfilled any residency and physical    
presence requirements solely for        
purposes of such current or former      
member's application for naturalization4
  7,b7 ,prior removals ,in the case of  
any current or former member of the     
,armed ,forces who is seeking           
naturalization under this section1 no   
prior removal may be taken into account 
for purposes of eligibility for any     
immigration benefit or in determining   

deportability1 or inadmissibility1      
including for purposes of the           
application of sections #bab7;a77#i7 and
 #cah4  7#b7 ,pardons  7,a7 ,in general 
,except as provided in subparagraph     
7,b71 in the case of a current or former
 member of the ,armed ,forces who       
receives a pardon for an offense1 that  
offense may not be taken into account   
for purposes of an application for      
naturalization under this section1      
including as to--  7i7 requirements     
under section #bab2 and  7ii7           
requirements under section #caf4  ,such 
benefit shall apply only as to the      
current or former member's application  
for naturalization4  7,b7 ,exception    
,subparagraph 7,a7 shall not apply if   
the offense pardoned was the same       
offense that caused that former member's
 separation from the ,armed ,forces in  
any manner other than honorable4  7#c7  
,notice ,program  7,a7 ,upon enlistment 
,every military recruiter or officer    
overseeing an enlistment shall provide  

to every recruit proper notice of that  
recruit's options for naturalization    
under this title1 and shall inform the  
recruit of existing programs or services
 that may aid in the recruit's          
naturalization process1 including       
directing the recruit to the ,judge     
,advocate ,general or other designated  
point-of-contact for naturalization4    
7,b7 ,upon discharge ,the ,secretary of 
,homeland ,security1 acting through the 
,director of the ,united ,states        
,customs and ,immigration ,services1 and
 in coordination with the ,secretary of 
,defense1 shall provide to every former 
member of the ,armed ,forces1 upon      
separation from the ,armed ,forces1 an  
adequate notice of that former member's 
options for naturalization under this   
title1 and shall inform that former     
member of existing programs and services
 that may aid in the naturalization     
process4 ,the ,secretary shall issue    
along with this notice a copy of each   
form required for naturalization and a  

copy of the certification of honorable  
service required under subsection       
7b77#c71 at no expense to that former   
member4  7#d7 ,application automatically
 filed ,when the current or former      
member who would be eligible for        
naturalization under this section       
becomes eligible for such               
naturalization1 the ,secretary of       
,homeland ,security1 in coordination    
with the ,secretary of ,defense shall   
notify the member of his or her         
eligibility1 and shall1 unless the      
member requests the ,secretary of       
,homeland ,security not do so1 submit an
 application for the naturalization on  
behalf of that member4  7#e7 ,veteran's 
application to be given treatment as    
though timely filed ,in the case of any 
current or former member of the ,armed  
,forces who would be eligible for       
naturalization under this section but is
 not by reason of a failure or inability
 to timely file application for         
naturalization1 the ,director of ,united

 ,states ,customs and ,immigration      
,services shall review any application  
for naturalization submitted by or on   
behalf of the former member as if it    
were completed and timely filed4  4  7b7
 ,prospective ,repeal ,section #cbi of  
the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #addj7 is amended by      
striking subsection 7d77#e74  7c7       
,applicability  7#a7 ,effective date of 
amendment ,the amendment made by        
subsection 7a7 shall take effect        
beginning on the date of enactment of   
this ,act4  7#b7 ,effective date of     
repeal ,the amendment made by subsection
 7b7 shall take effect beginning #a year
 after the date of enactment of this    
,act4