To declare certain Amerasians to be citizens of the United States.
Latest action (19 Oct 1998): Introduced
What this bill does
H.R. 4854 would grant automatic U.S. citizenship to certain Amerasian individuals who currently hold lawful permanent resident status. To qualify, a person must have been granted permanent resident status before the age of nine, and must either have entered the U.S. under a specific immigration petition category for children of U.S. citizens abroad (and later been adopted by a U.S. citizen), or have been admitted under a particular provision of a 1988 foreign operations appropriations law covering Amerasians (and likewise later adopted by a U.S. citizen). Eligible individuals would become citizens as of the bill's enactment date, overriding the standard naturalization procedures in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The bill primarily affects a narrow group: Amerasian children—generally born to Vietnamese or other Asian mothers and American fathers—who came to the U.S. as young children through specific legal pathways and were subsequently adopted by American citizens. For these individuals, the bill would provide a direct route to citizenship rather than requiring them to go through ordinary naturalization requirements.
The bill was introduced on October 19, 1998, by Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii during the 105th Congress and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. It did not receive a vote and did not advance further before the end of that Congress, meaning it did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
This bill was introduced on October 19, 1998, in a previous session of Congress, but it did not receive a vote.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 4854 do?
- H.R. 4854 would grant automatic U.S. citizenship to certain Amerasian individuals who currently hold lawful permanent resident status. To qualify, a person must have been granted permanent resident status before the age of nine, and must either have entered the U.S. under a specific immigration petition category for children of U.S. citizens abroad (and later been adopted by a U.S. citizen), or have been admitted under a particular provision of a 1988 foreign operations appropriations law covering Amerasians (and likewise later adopted by a U.S. citizen). Eligible individuals would become citizens as of the bill's enactment date, overriding the standard naturalization procedures in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The bill primarily affects a narrow group: Amerasian children—generally born to Vietnamese or other Asian mothers and American fathers—who came to the U.S. as young children through specific legal pathways and were subsequently adopted by American citizens. For these individuals, the bill would provide a direct route to citizenship rather than requiring them to go through ordinary naturalization requirements. The bill was introduced on October 19, 1998, by Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii during the 105th Congress and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. It did not receive a vote and did not advance further before the end of that Congress, meaning it did not become law.
- Has H.R. 4854 become law?
- Not yet. As of 19 Oct 1998, H.R. 4854 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 4854?
- H.R. 4854 was sponsored by Rep. Patsy Mink [D-HI2, 1990-2002] (Democrat-HI), with 0 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 4854?
- Introduced (19 Oct 1998).
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