HB 19-21: Citizen Affordability Act (Passed)

[YE]

Citizen Affordability Act

PERMANENT FULL AND PARTIAL INCOME-BASED NATURALIZATION FEE WAIVERS.

Section 344(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1455(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(2)  In the case of an alien whose income is less than 150 percent of the Federal poverty line, no fee shall be charged or collected for—

“(i) the filing of an application for naturalization or the issuance of a certificate of naturalization upon admission to citizenship;

“(ii) the filing of an application to preserve residence for naturalization purposes;

“(iii) the filing of an application for a replacement naturalization or citizenship document;

“(iv) the filing of an application for citizenship and issuance of certificate of citizenship under section 322 (Form N–600K);

“(v) the filing of an application for certificate of citizenship (Form N–600); or

“(vi) a biometrics capture or background check associated with any application described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv).

“(3) In the case of an alien whose income is less than 250 percent of the Federal poverty line, not more than 50 percent of the applicable fee shall be charged or collected for any of the services outlined within (2).

“(4) In this subsection, the term ‘Federal poverty line’ has the meaning given such term by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as revised annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in accordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902).”.

Sponsor: Wulfric
72 hours to debate.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

This bill limits fees for naturalization and related costs for those legal immigrants who fall below 250 percent of the poverty line, and abolishes such fees for those below 150 percent of said line. The ability to immigrate to Atlasia should not be made prohibitive due to one's income, and this ensures just that.

This is a simplified version of HR 3328 of the RL 116th Congress.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

What's going on with this?

[Mr. Reactionary]

What's going on with this?

I guess we're waiting to see who mentions paygo first.

[fhtagn]

What's going on with this?

I guess we're waiting to see who mentions paygo first.

To be fair, all Labor wants to do is create wish lists and not bother coming up with ways to fund them (or when they do, they suggest methods that usually end up stealing money from people). For all the talk Wulfric has said about fiscal responsibility in the past, he sure sold out on that real quick.

In any case, paygo is still a rule, and YE has an obligation to uphold the rules as currently written.

[Dr. MB]

Filing fees are generally a bad thing in the first place, so I'll be supporting this.

[YE]

What's going on with this?

I guess we're waiting to see who mentions paygo first.

To be fair, all Labor wants to do is create wish lists and not bother coming up with ways to fund them (or when they do, they suggest methods that usually end up stealing money from people). For all the talk Wulfric has said about fiscal responsibility in the past, he sure sold out on that real quick.

In any case, paygo is still a rule, and YE has an obligation to uphold the rules as currently written.

Is high taxes on billionaires considered "stealing money"? k.

[JGibson]

I support this bill.

[lfromnj]

Can we also eliminate the fee to renounce citizenship as it is the closest outside of prisons to modern day slavery.

Edit: The fee is actually pretty moderate, Anyone who is actually renouncing citizenship to avoid US taxes definitely doesn't care about the  $2000 fee but its more the idea of it.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Amendment:

Citizen Affordability Act

PERMANENT FULL AND PARTIAL INCOME-BASED NATURALIZATION FEE WAIVERS.

Section 344(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1455(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(2)  In the case of an alien whose income is less than 150 percent of the Federal poverty line, no fee shall be charged or collected for—

“(i) the filing of an application for naturalization or the issuance of a certificate of naturalization upon admission to citizenship;

“(ii) the filing of an application to preserve residence for naturalization purposes;

“(iii) the filing of an application for a replacement naturalization or citizenship document;

“(iv) the filing of an application for citizenship and issuance of certificate of citizenship under section 322 (Form N–600K);

“(v) the filing of an application for certificate of citizenship (Form N–600); or

“(vi) the filing of materials or statements related to renouncement of citizenship; or

“(vii) a biometrics capture or background check associated with any application described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), (v) and (vi).

“(3) In the case of an alien whose income is less than 250 percent of the Federal poverty line, not more than 50 percent of the applicable fee shall be charged or collected for any of the services outlined within (2).

“(4) In this subsection, the term ‘Federal poverty line’ has the meaning given such term by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as revised annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in accordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902).”.

[YE]

Amendment is adopted.

We're kind of stuck on this till we get rid of paygo though.

[fhtagn]

Motioning to table, unless Wulfric wants to comply with paygo and find a way to fund this. We shouldn't let a bill sit with nothing done with it because people don't want to follow a simple rule.

[Mr. Reactionary]

I can look at H1B fees to maybe offset this if the sponsor is agreeable. That way INS user fees offset the INS user fee waivers and we can keep it related.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I can look at H1B fees to maybe offset this if the sponsor is agreeable. That way INS user fees offset the INS user fee waivers and we can keep it related.

Sure

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I can look at H1B fees to maybe offset this if the sponsor is agreeable. That way INS user fees offset the INS user fee waivers and we can keep it related.

What's the status on this?

[Dr. MB]

Any updates? If not I'll motion for a final vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Any updates? If not I'll motion for a final vote.

We are waiting for PayGo to be formally repealed before we proceed with this.

[Dr. MB]

Withdrawing my motion.

[Mr. Reactionary]

So I think the best method to fund this would be to increase Passport fees.

Cost: (725,000 naturalizations x .1726 percent of whole eligible for waiver) = 125,135 x $725 fee = $90,722,875.00 total cost.

Increasing H-1B fees by $300 only nets $19,500,000.00. Increasing the nautralization fee for everyone else by $50 yielded like $30 Million.

If you increase Passport fees by $10 to $135 ($10 cheaper than real life), $10 x a very conservative estimate of 15 Million passport applications each year (which is a bit under rl 2015 numbers) that yields $150 Million which covers the cost and banks around $60 million towards the deficit. Alternatively, a $5 passport increase and the H1B increase mentioned above yields about $95 Million ($4 Million more than needed).

[YE]

So how do we feel about this? Is the sponsor going to amend accordingly?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Amendment:

Citizen Affordability Act

PERMANENT FULL AND PARTIAL INCOME-BASED NATURALIZATION FEE WAIVERS.

Section 344(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1455(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(2)  In the case of an alien whose income is less than 150 percent of the Federal poverty line, no fee shall be charged or collected for—

“(i) the filing of an application for naturalization or the issuance of a certificate of naturalization upon admission to citizenship;

“(ii) the filing of an application to preserve residence for naturalization purposes;

“(iii) the filing of an application for a replacement naturalization or citizenship document;

“(iv) the filing of an application for citizenship and issuance of certificate of citizenship under section 322 (Form N–600K);

“(v) the filing of an application for certificate of citizenship (Form N–600);

“(vi) the filing of materials or statements related to renouncement of citizenship; or

“(vii) a biometrics capture or background check associated with any application described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), (v) and (vi).

“(3) In the case of an alien whose income is less than 250 percent of the Federal poverty line, not more than 50 percent of the applicable fee shall be charged or collected for any of the services outlined within (2).

“(4) In this subsection, the term ‘Federal poverty line’ has the meaning given such term by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as revised annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in accordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902).”.

"(5) The fee associated with the filing of a passport application is hereby increased by $10

[YE]

24 hours to object.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

As the Amendment has been adopted I move for a final vote

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

As the Amendment has been adopted I move for a final vote

[YE]

I was literally away from the forum until last night...


Anyhow opening a 72 hour vote.