The Kennedy-Gephardt "New American Citizenship Act"

The bill builds on the premise that America should welcome qualified immigrants to become citizens. Immigrants deserve a naturalization process that is fair, efficient and affordable, but also ensures criminals cannot slip through the system. The Kennedy-Gephardt bill will:

Eliminate Backlogs:

• Give the Attorney General three months to produce a specific backlog reduction plan with target dates for when the backlog will be eliminated.
• Cap the naturalization fee at $150 until INS reduces the backlog of pending naturalization applications.
• Authorize the appropriation of funds for backlog reduction and INS naturalization technological and infrastructural support.
• Require the Attorney General to develop a plan to redesign the naturalization process so that the entire process takes less than six months from application to oath.

Equip New Americans for Citizenship:

• Include a pilot program to develop a more meaningful standardized naturalization test.
• Empower community-based organizations to teach more citizenship classes with free materials provided by INS.
• Ensure immigrants know that they cannot vote until they become citizens.

Prevent Fraud:

• Ensure integrity of naturalization test by requiring INS approved proctors for all naturalization exams given by entities other than INS,
• Reduce fraud in naturalization testing by barring for-profit organizations from both teaching citizenship courses and administering tests. Under Kennedy-Gephardt, these entities will have to choose which service they want to provide.
• Deter naturalization fraud and ensure ineligible criminals cannot naturalize by codifying specific procedures INS must follow with every naturalization application.