H.R. 7946Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022

2 recorded actions238 of these members are on the 2026 ballotWhat the measure does Read on Congress.gov

Sponsor: Mark Takano [D-CA-41]
Cosponsors: 36 · 36 Democrats
Policy area: Immigration
Committees: Judiciary Committee, Veterans' Affairs Committee · and 1 more
Latest action: Dec 7, 2022 · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

IntroducedJun 3, 2022
Passed the HouseDec 6, 2022
Passed the SenateNot yet reached
Sent to the PresidentNot yet reached
Became lawNot yet reached

What the measure doesCRS summary

Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022

This bill addresses immigration-related issues pertaining to noncitizen (or non-U.S. national) military veterans, including by authorizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide lawful permanent resident status to a veteran subject to removal.

If a noncitizen veteran appears to be eligible for lawful permanent resident status under this bill, that veteran must receive a reasonable opportunity to apply for such status and may not be removed until there is a final administrative decision on the veteran's eligibility.

For the purposes of providing such status under this bill, DHS may waive any applicable grounds of inadmissibility, except for certain crime- or security-related grounds.

The bill also extends certain deadlines relating to obtaining citizenship after serving in the Armed Forces.

DHS must create a system for identifying noncitizens who are or may be veterans. Before initiating removal proceedings against a noncitizen, DHS must attempt to determine whether the noncitizen is a veteran. DHS must ensure that veteran status is considered in immigration proceedings.

The bill also requires U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Defense to take certain actions to facilitate opportunities for military recruits and veterans to obtain U.S. citizenship, such as by training Judge Advocate General Corps members to act as liaisons between the Armed Forces and USCIS on servicemember citizenship applications.

The bill also establishes the Military Family Immigration Advisory Committee to provide recommendations on cases involving the removal of a servicemember, veteran, or certain family members of a servicemember or veteran. Such an individual may not be removed until the committee has provided a recommendation to DHS about the individual's case, unless the individual is inadmissible due to a conviction for an aggravated felony.

The bill also waives certain grounds of inadmissibility (e.g., being unlawfully present in the United States) for certain noncitizens applying for lawful permanent resident status as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen who has served at least two years in the Armed Forces.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, describing H.R. 7946 as passed House on Dec 6, 2022. It is not the text of the measure; a later amendment may have changed what it does.

Roll calls on H.R. 79462 roll calls on this measure

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Dec 6, 2022Each bar: ✓ Yea from the bottom, ✕ Nay aboveDec 6, 2022

How every member votedHouse roll call 503

House Dec 6, 2022 · the primary vote

On Passage

Veteran Service Recognition Act

Passed

220 Yea 208 Nay 3 not voting

Party-line vote 3 of 428 voting members broke with their own party: 3 Republicans.

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How the chamber split

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DemocratsRepublicansFilled: YeaRing: NayGrey: not voting or present

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All members431 members

Democratic218 members

Republican213 members

marks half of the votes cast. A party’s majority is the side most of its voting members took.

Cosponsors36 · 36 Democrats

Signing on is not a vote: a member can cosponsor H.R. 7946 and vote against it. 5 signed when it was filed.

DZoe Lofgren [D-CA-19]Original2026 profile

DJerrold Nadler [D-NY-10]Original

DJuan Vargas [D-CA-51]Original2026 profile

DJ. Luis Correa [D-CA-46]Original2026 profile

DRaul Ruiz [D-CA-36]Original2026 profile

DGregorio Sablan [D-MP-00]Joined Jun 7, 2022

DAnthony Brown [D-MD-04]Joined Jun 8, 2022

DAdriano Espaillat [D-NY-13]Joined Jun 14, 20222026 profile

DMike Thompson [D-CA-05]Joined Jun 14, 20222026 profile

DJames P. McGovern [D-MA-02]Joined Jun 14, 20222026 profile

DAlan Lowenthal [D-CA-47]Joined Jun 14, 2022

DBOBBY RUSH [D-IL-01]Joined Jun 14, 2022

Loading the public record

H.R. 7946Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022

What the measure doesCRS summary

Roll calls on H.R. 79462 roll calls on this measure

How every member votedHouse roll call 503

On Passage

How the chamber split

Cosponsors36 · 36 Democrats

H.R. 7946Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022

What the measure doesCRS summary

Roll calls on H.R. 79462 roll calls on this measure

How every member votedHouse roll call 503

On Passage

How the chamber split

Cosponsors36 · 36 Democrats

Who lobbied on H.R. 79467 organizations

Who lobbied on H.R. 79467 organizations