Expatriate Terrorists Act
Latest action. Read the second time. Placed on Senate legislative calendarThe list of measures reported out of committee and eligible for floor action. Being on the calendar is not a promise of a vote.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) under General Orders. Calendar No. 554.
Expatriate Terrorists Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include among the grounds for loss of U.S. nationality by a native-born or naturalized citizen:
taking an oath or making a declaration of allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization after attaining the age of 18; or
becoming a member of or providing training or material assistance to any foreign terrorist organization that such person knows or has reason to know will engage in hostilities against the United States, or will commit acts of terror against the United States or U.S. nationals.
Adds to the conditions referring to service in the armed forces of a foreign state or a foreign terrorist organization that such armed forces are engaged in hostilities against the United States (as under current law) or intentionally targeting U.S. nationals for acts of terror.
Declares that there shall be a loss of nationality by accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of an office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision after attaining the age of 18 if the person (under current law, a man) knowingly has or acquires the nationality of such foreign state (while current law does not require a knowing state of mind).
Declares also that there shall be a loss of nationality by accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of an office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision after attaining the age of 18 which requires an oath, affirmation, or declaration of allegiance to the foreign state or political subdivision.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on September 8, 2014. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 9, 2014: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 554.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced it on September 8, 2014, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on September 8, 2014, 4432 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4431 days ago, on September 9, 2014.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers