,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cbid  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #ac1 
#bjbj,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to require      
,u4,s4 ,citizenship and ,immigration    
,services to facilitate naturalization  
services for noncitizen veterans who    
have been removed from the ,united      
,states or are inadmissible4  #a4 ,short
 title ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,strengthening ,citizenship ,services   
for ,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,definitions   
,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,biometric          
collection ,the term biometric          
collection means the biometric          
collection described in section         
#ajc4b7;b77#i7 of title #h1 ,code of    
,federal ,regulations1 during which the 
applicant provides information1         
including by providing fingerprints1    
photographs1 or signatures1 to confirm  
his or her identity and to satisfy any  

requirement for background and security 
checks in connection with an application
 to become a naturalized citizen of the 
,united ,states4  7#b7 ,eligible veteran
 ,the term eligible veteran-- 7,a7 means
 a veteran who is a noncitizen2 and     
7,b7 includes any veteran who-- 7i7 was 
removed from the ,united ,states2 or    
7ii7 is not in the ,united ,states and  
is inadmissible under section #bab7;a7  
of the ,immigration and ,nationality    
,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahb7;a774  7#c7    
,naturalization examination ,the term   
naturalization examination means the    
,english and civics test that each      
noncitizen is required to pass 7unless  
exempted7 pursuant to section #cab7;a7  
of the ,immigration and ,nationality    
,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #adbc7;a77 to become 
a naturalized citizen of the ,united    
,states4  7#d7 ,noncitizen ,the term    
noncitizen means an individual who is   
not a citizen of the ,united ,states4   
7#e7 ,oath of allegiance ,the term oath 
of allegiance means the affirmation and 

ceremony necessary to become a          
naturalized citizen of the ,united      
,states4  7#f7 ,secretary ,the term     
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,homeland ,security4  7#g7 ,veteran ,the
 term veteran has the meaning given such
 term in section #aja of title #ch1     
,united ,states ,code4  #c4             
,naturalization examinations and        
biometric collection for eligible       
veterans  7a7 ,in general ,the ,director
 of ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and ,immigration
 ,services shall ensure that the        
naturalization examination for each     
eligible veteran is conducted at-- 7#a7 
a ,united ,states port of entry that is 
accessible to the veteran2 or  7#b7 a   
,united ,states embassy or consulate in 
the country in which the veteran        
resides4  7b7 ,biometric collection ,the
 ,director of ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and   
,immigration ,services shall ensure that
 biometric collection is made available 
for each eligible veteran at-- 7#a7 a   
,united ,states port of entry that is   

accessible to the veteran2 or  7#b7 a   
,united ,states embassy or consulate in 
the country in which the veteran        
resides4  7c7 ,oath of allegiance ,the  
,director of ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and    
,immigration ,services shall ensure that
 the oath of allegiance for each        
eligible veteran is conducted at-- 7#a7 
a ,united ,states port of entry that is 
accessible to the veteran2 or  7#b7 a   
,united ,states embassy or consulate in 
the country in which the veteran        
resides4  #d4 ,joint guidance from the  
,secretary of ,homeland ,security and   
the ,secretary of ,state ,the ,secretary
 of ,homeland ,security and the         
,secretary of ,state shall issue        
guidance regarding-- 7#a7 the methods   
used by the ,department of ,homeland    
,security to conduct biometric          
collections1 naturalization             
examinations1 and oath ceremonies for   
eligible veterans at a ,united ,states  
port of entry1 embassy1 or consulate2   
7#b7 the methods used by the ,department

 of ,state to facilitate available space
 for the activities described in        
paragraph 7#a72 and  7#c7 quality       
assurance mechanisms to ensure eligible 
veterans are able to complete the       
naturalization process at a port of     
entry1 embassy1 or consulate4  #e4      
,report  7a7 ,in general ,not later than
 #ahj days after the date of the        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,homeland ,security and the          
,secretary of ,state shall jointly      
submit a report to ,committee on        
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate1 the 
,committee on the ,judiciary of the     
,senate1 the ,committee on ,veterans'   
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives1 and the ,committee on 
the ,judiciary of the ,house of         
,representatives that contains an       
analysis of-- 7#a7 the implementation of
 this ,act2 and  7#b7 the effectiveness 
of the guidance issued pursuant to      
section #d4  7b7 ,updated guidance ,not 
later than the last day of the #ij-;day 

period beginning on the date on which   
the report is submitted pursuant to     
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of       
,homeland ,security and the ,secretary  
of ,state shall jointly update the      
guidance required under section #d to   
the extent any shortcomings are         
identified in the report4  #f4          
,rulemaking ,not later than #ij days    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall promulgate   
regulations to implement this ,act4  #g4
 ,effective date2 applicability  7a7    
,effective date ,this ,act shall take   
effect #ij days after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act4  7b7            
,applicability ,the requirements under  
this ,act shall apply to all            
naturalization examinations involving   
eligible veterans with a pending        
naturalization application as of the    
date of the enactment of this ,act or   
who submit a naturalization application 
after such date of enactment1 regardless
 of the date on which the veterans were 

discharged from the military or exited  
the ,united ,states4