Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act
Public Law 110-251 · S. 2516 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jun 26, 2008 · Immigration
Sponsor: Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Ted Kennedy
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act - (Sec. 2) Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to use the fingerprints provided by an individual at the time of military enlistment or at the time of applying for (immigration) status adjustment to satisfy any naturalization background or security requirements if: (1) the individual may be naturalized under the Immigration and Nationality Act, was fingerprinted in accordance with Department of Defense (DOD) requirements, and submits a naturalization application within 24 months of enlistment or provides the required biometric information at the time of application for status adjustment if filed within 24 months after enlistment; and (2) the Secretary determines that the biometric information provided, including fingerprints, is sufficient to conduct the naturalization background and security checks.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) determine the format for biometric information, including fingerprints; (2) implement procedures for electronic transmission of biometric information that will safeguard privacy and civil liberties; and (3) provide for centralization of naturalization applications of active duty personnel serving abroad and such applications' expedited processing.
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to update the appropriate Internet websites to reflect naturalization law changes.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should make necessary updates to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) application forms.
(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to the adjudication of military service-related naturalization applications.
Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study and report to the appropriate congressional committees with respect to implementation of this Act by the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2884Related bill
Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Jun 26, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-251.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 17, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jun 9, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2516.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Lofgren, Zoe moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Mar 12, 2008FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Mar 11, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 18, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4177SenateSen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD· offered Mar 11, 2008Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Mar 11, 2008: Amendment agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.