To protect collective self-determination and individual rights under Federal statutes conferring nationality on persons born and residing in the territory of American Samoa, to enable subsequent elective United States citizenship upon application of such persons residing in a State or in a territory subject to sections 301 through 308 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and for other purposes.

What Would Change

Today, people born in American Samoa are U.S. nationals but not U.S. citizens by birth, and must go through a naturalization process to become citizens. After this bill, U.S. nationals residing in a U.S. state or certain territories would be able to apply to elect U.S. citizenship and receive a passport identifying them as both a national and a citizen. The existing naturalization process for people born in outlying possessions would also be repealed.