Proud to Be an American Citizen Act

Proud to Be an American Citizen Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make funds available annually to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to approved public or private nonprofit entities to support public ceremonies for administering oaths of allegiance to naturalizing legal immigrants.

States that such ceremonies shall: (1) be held on a date that is on or near Independence Day; and (2) include appropriate outreach, ceremonial, and celebratory activities.

Specifies: (1) ceremony fund limits ($5,000); and (2) permitted fund uses.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5323 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5323

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for ceremonies 
 on or near Independence Day for administering oaths of allegiance to 
   legal immigrants whose applications for naturalization have been 
                               approved.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 9, 2006

 Mr. Farr (for himself and Mr. Hobson) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for ceremonies 
 on or near Independence Day for administering oaths of allegiance to 
   legal immigrants whose applications for naturalization have been 
                               approved.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Proud to Be an American Citizen 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The United States is a nation of immigrants.
            (2) Immigrants strengthen the economic and political ties 
        of the United States with other nations.
            (3) Immigrants enhance the Nation's ability to compete in 
        the global market.
            (4) Immigrants contribute to the Nation's scientific, 
        literary, artistic, and other cultural resources.
            (5) A properly regulated system of legal immigration is in 
        the Nation's interest.
            (6) The Naturalization Oath of Allegiance impresses on new 
        United States citizens--
                    (A) the shared American values of liberty, 
                democracy, and equal opportunity; and
                    (B) the obligation to respect and abide by the 
                Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.
            (8) Naturalization rewards legal immigrants who have abided 
        by all United States laws and Immigration and Naturalization 
        Service regulations.
            (9) Naturalization bestows all the legal rights, 
        privileges, and responsibilities of a United States citizen.

SEC. 3. INDEPENDENCE DAY CEREMONIES FOR OATHS OF ALLEGIANCE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make 
available funds each fiscal year to the Director of U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration Services or to public or private nonprofit entities to 
support public ceremonies for administering oaths of allegiance under 
section 337(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1448(a)) to legal immigrants whose applications for naturalization have 
been approved.
    (b) Ceremonies.--A ceremony conducted with funds under this 
section--
            (1) shall be held on a date that is on or near Independence 
        Day; and
            (2) shall include appropriate outreach, ceremonial, and 
        celebratory activities.
    (c) Selection of Sites.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        select the site for each ceremony conducted with funds under 
        this section.
            (2) Selection process.--In selecting a site under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary of Homeland Security should consider--
                    (A) the number of naturalization applicants living 
                in proximity to the site; and
                    (B) the degree of participation in and support for 
                the ceremony by the local community at the site.
    (d) Amounts Available; Use of Funds.--
            (1) Amounts available.--Amounts made available under this 
        section for each ceremony shall not exceed $5,000.
            (2) Funds.--Funds made available under this section may be 
        used only for the following:
                    (A) Costs of personnel of the Immigration and 
                Naturalization Service and the Federal judiciary 
                (including travel and overtime expenses).
                    (B) Site rental, including audio equipment rental.
                    (C) Logistical requirements, including sanitation.
                    (D) Costs for printing brochures about the 
                naturalization participants and the naturalization 
                process.
            (3) Availability of funds.--Funds that are otherwise 
        available to the Immigration and Naturalization Service to 
        carry out naturalization activities shall be available to carry 
        out this section.
    (e) Application.--No amount may be made available under this 
section to an entity that is not part of the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service, for supporting a ceremony described in 
subsection (b), unless--
            (1) the entity submits an application to the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, in a form and manner specified by the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security; and
            (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security approves the 
        application.
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