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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION |
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| INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, JOSEPHS AND M. O'BRIEN, MARCH 19, 2012 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 19, 2012 |
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| A RESOLUTION |
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1 | Encouraging the Congress of the United States to reform the |
2 | Immigration and Nationality Act by eliminating the English |
3 | test and allowing the administration of the civics test in |
4 | the native language of the applicant. |
5 | WHEREAS, The McCarran-Walter Act (P.L.82-414), otherwise |
6 | known as the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), was enacted |
7 | in 1952 by collecting and codifying many different statutes |
8 | governing immigration laws; and |
9 | WHEREAS, The INA establishes laws to regulate immigration and |
10 | nationality in the United States; and |
11 | WHEREAS, In order to become a naturalized United States |
12 | citizen, Act 312 of the INA requires individuals to prove an |
13 | understanding of the English language, including an ability to |
14 | read, write and speak words in ordinary usage in English; and |
15 | WHEREAS, Act 312 of the INA requires individuals to prove |
16 | knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, |
17 | principles and form of government of the United States; and |
18 | WHEREAS, Applicants are exempt from proving an understanding |
19 | of the English language if the applicant is either 50 years of |
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1 | age or older and has lived as a permanent United States resident |
2 | for 20 years or 55 years of age or older and has lived as a |
3 | permanent United States resident for 15 years; and |
4 | WHEREAS, Applicants are afforded the opportunity to prove |
5 | civic knowledge and understanding in their native language if an |
6 | exemption from proving an understanding of the English language |
7 | is granted; and |
8 | WHEREAS, The United States was founded, not on language |
9 | proficiency, but on the principles of fairness, equality and |
10 | opportunity; and |
11 | WHEREAS, In the 19th century, millions of individuals who |
12 | immigrated to the United States were naturalized without English |
13 | language proficiency; and |
14 | WHEREAS, Children and grandchildren of immigrants |
15 | overwhelmingly comprehend the English language, more so than |
16 | their parents' or grandparents' native language; and |
17 | WHEREAS, An English language requirement to naturalization, |
18 | based on unfounded fears and uncertainties, stands in direct |
19 | opposition to the tenets of the First Amendment of the |
20 | Constitution of the United States; and |
21 | WHEREAS, Many eligible individuals do not achieve United |
22 | States citizenship due to the English proficiency requirement to |
23 | naturalization; therefore be it |
24 | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the |
25 | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania encourage the Congress of the |
26 | United States to eliminate the English proficiency test and |
27 | allow the civics test to be administered in the native language |
28 | of all applicants; and be it further |
29 | RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to |
30 | the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each |
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1 | member of Congress from Pennsylvania. |
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