Press Releases

Today, House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) joined with House Judiciary Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) to introduce H.R. 4803, the Citizenship for Children of Military Members and Civil Servants Act.  The bipartisan legislation aims to fix a problem in current citizenship laws that serves as a disadvantage to certain children who are born abroad and reside with a parent serving overseas in the military or as a federal government employee.  Under current law, such children are required to establish U.S. residency in order to obtain citizenship, which can be difficult when a parent is stationed overseas.  Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Collins are joined by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Ranking Member Ken Buck (R-CO), Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) in introducing the Citizenship for Children of Military Members and Civil Servants Act. 

“I am very proud to be introducing this legislation with bipartisan support, along with Ranking Member Collins, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Thornberry, Subcommittee Chair Lofgren, Subcommittee Ranking Member Buck, and Representatives Gallego and Lieu,” said Chairman Jerrold Nadler.  “This small but important change is the least we can do for the men and women who serve our country in the U.S. armed forces and in federal government positions overseas, and I am glad we could work together to introduce this legislation that provides greater flexibility and support to those who have dedicated their careers to serving our nation.  I look forward to next week’s hearing in the Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee, where we will explore this issue, and we hope to move the Citizenship for Children of Military Members and Civil Servants Act as soon as possible.”

“American citizens who are deployed members of our military or government officials working abroad should have confidence their children will receive U.S. citizenship. The Citizenship for Children of Military Members and Civil Servants Act would ensure children born abroad who do not currently satisfy the residency requirements for acquiring automatic citizenship because their parents are deployed will now satisfy those requirements. Families making tremendous sacrifices to serve our country shouldn’t have to jump through additional hoops for their children to become American citizens,” said Ranking Member Doug Collins.

The full text of the bill can be found here.