Legis Daily

American Citizenship Act

USA119th CongressS-4973| Senate 
| Updated: 7/14/2026
Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Republican Senator

Missouri

Cosponsors (1)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican)

Judiciary Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
This bill, known as the American Citizenship Act, aims to amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause. It proposes a new definition for birthright citizenship, stating that a person born in the United States is a citizen only if they are "not subject to any foreign power." The legislation further specifies that a person is deemed "subject to a foreign power" if neither parent is a United States citizen or has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of the person's birth. This change would limit automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to those with at least one parent who is a citizen or a legal permanent resident. Importantly, the amendment explicitly states that it will not affect the citizenship or nationality status of any person born before its enactment date , ensuring no retroactive application of the new definition.

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Timeline
Jul 14, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Jul 14, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • July 14, 2026
    Introduced in Senate


  • July 14, 2026
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Immigration

American Citizenship Act

USA119th CongressS-4973| Senate 
| Updated: 7/14/2026
This bill, known as the American Citizenship Act, aims to amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause. It proposes a new definition for birthright citizenship, stating that a person born in the United States is a citizen only if they are "not subject to any foreign power." The legislation further specifies that a person is deemed "subject to a foreign power" if neither parent is a United States citizen or has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of the person's birth. This change would limit automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to those with at least one parent who is a citizen or a legal permanent resident. Importantly, the amendment explicitly states that it will not affect the citizenship or nationality status of any person born before its enactment date , ensuring no retroactive application of the new definition.

Bill Text Versions

View Text
2 versions available

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Jul 14, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Jul 14, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • July 14, 2026
    Introduced in Senate


  • July 14, 2026
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Republican Senator

Missouri

Cosponsors (1)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican)

Judiciary Committee

Immigration

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted