InsideGov
Congress · Laws

An Act amending section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Public Law 95-579 · S. 2247 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 2, 1978 · Immigration

Sponsor: Sen. Richard Schweiker (R-PA)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseMethod not stated
  • SenateMethod not stated
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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Authorizes the naturalization of a certain individual, upon compliance with certain conditions, as a citizen of the United States.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow any individual who has resided in the United States for at least 20 years to be naturalized, not withstanding such individual's inability to read, write, or speak the English language.

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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

  1. Nov 2, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-579.
  3. Oct 25, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
  4. Oct 15, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
  5. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
  7. Oct 14, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, with an amendment to the title.
  8. FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
  9. Oct 3, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  10. May 24, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  11. May 23, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
  12. May 17, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  13. Oct 27, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  14. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.