To amend section 1059(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 to clarify that a period of employment abroad by the Chief of Mission or United States Armed Forces as a translator, interpreter, or in a security-related position in an executive or managerial capacity is to be counted as a period of residence and physical presence in the United States for purposes of qualifying for naturalization, and for other purposes.
Public Law 112-227 · H.R. 6223 · 112th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 28, 2012 · Immigration
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Dent (R-PA-15)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Lamar Smith
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.
Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 to consider the period of time that a person was employed by the Chief of Mission or the U.S. Armed Forces, under contract with the Chief of Mission or the U.S. Armed Forces, or was employed by a firm or corporation under contract with the Chief of Mission or the U.S. Armed Forces as a translator, interpreter, or in an executive or managerial level security position as a period of U.S. residence and physical presence for naturalization purposes if at least a portion of such period was spent abroad working directly in such capacity for the Chief of Mission or U.S. Armed Forces.
Makes such amendment effective as if included in the enactment of a specified section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
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.
S. 3643Related bill
A bill to amend section 1059(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 to clarify that a period of employment abroad by the Chief of Mission or United States Armed Forces as a translator, interpr…
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. 15 actions.
- Dec 28, 2012Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-227.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 19, 2012FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 18, 2012FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 17, 2012FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 6, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Dec 5, 2012FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6223.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Aug 14, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
- Jul 26, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.