{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr1543-113/featured_senior-citizenship-act-of-2013-1485897549.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr1543-113/featured_large_senior-citizenship-act-of-2013-1485897549.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr1543-113.png"},"introduced_on":"2013-04-12","title_override":"Easing Citizenship Requirements for Elderly Immigrants","summary_override":"This bill deals with elderly immigrants who want to become U.S. citizens. In order to become U.S. citizens, immigrants must pass an exam on English and an exam on civics and history among other requirements. If an immigrant is over the age of 50 and has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for at least 20 years, or at least 15 years if over the age of 55, under current law they do not have to take the English literacy test when applying for citizenship. They do have to take the history and civics test, but it can be done in their native language. Additionally, if they are over the age of 60 and have been a lawful permanent resident in the United States for at least 20 years, they can take a simplified version of the history and civics test in their own language.

This bill would amend such requirements in two ways:

First, it would exempt immigrants who are over 65 years old and have been lawful permanent residents of the United States for at least five years from having to take the English literacy exam. They still would be required to pass the civics and history exam, but this could be done in their native language.

Second, it would exempt immigrants who are over 75 years old and have been lawful permanent residents of the United States for at least five years from having to take the history and civics exam altogether.

","official_title":"To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain elderly persons from demonstrating an understanding of the English language and the history, principles, and form of government of the United States as a requirement for naturalization, and to permit certain other elderly persons to take the history and government examination in a language of their choice.","short_title":"Senior Citizenship Act of 2013","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Senior Citizenship Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) exempt certain persons over the age of 75 from the U.S. history, government, and English language naturalization examination requirements; and (2) permit certain persons over the age of 65 to take such history and government examination in a language other than English.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost is currently unavailable. ","impact":"This bill impacts citizenship requirements for immigrants 65 years and above. ","argument_for":"It's appropriate for elderly immigrants to be able to bypass learning English, American history, and what the U.S. Constitution offers them, and instead just be. Besides, most people born here have no idea what their constitutional rights are anyway. ","argument_against":"Anyone who wants to be a U.S. citizen should learn about their rights, America's history, and be able to speak English. Exempting the elderly from these requirements is both agist and anti-democratic; the elderly are old, not dead. 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Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to immigration!","page_title":"Immigration Bills on Countable - Vote on Legislation, Stay informed, Hold Government Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/immigration/black_immigration-1429042063.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/immigration/grey_immigration-1429042063.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/immigration/white_immigration-1429042063.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Suman","vote_count":28,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/100002539569301/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/100002539569301/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/100002539569301/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100002539569301/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/m6VGXNo4/following","followers":"/api/users/m6VGXNo4/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":0,"influence_level":0,"follower_count":0,"following_count":0,"position_count":25,"id":"m6VGXNo4","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"75cfa5cd-629f-4989-8dc6-f3c06adb6262","argument_for":"We should respect and give what they deserve","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/75cfa5cd-629f-4989-8dc6-f3c06adb6262"},"body":"We should respect and give what they deserve","stance":"yea","created_at":"2020-11-17T05:45:57.797Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/75cfa5cd-629f-4989-8dc6-f3c06adb6262.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr1543-113","user_id":"m6VGXNo4","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Easing Citizenship Requirements for Elderly Immigrants