PRIA Logo™
119-hr-6355119th Congress

Corporal Fernando Ruiz Baltazar Posthumous Citizenship Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]

Introduced

Summary

posthumous U.S. citizenship for certain Philippine enlistees is created by this bill, which sets who qualifies and what proof federal agencies must provide. It targets noncitizen nationals or aliens who served honorably and died from service-related injury or disease during specified wartime periods.

Show full summary
  • Families of noncitizen or noncitizen-national servicemembers could receive formal posthumous U.S. citizenship recognition for loved ones who died in service. It specifically covers enlistments in the Philippines from September 1, 1939 to December 31, 1946.
  • Eligible individuals must have served honorably on active duty and died because of service-related injury or disease, and must meet the general INA requirements or the special Philippines enlistment rule.
  • The executive department under which the person served must provide a duly authenticated certificate stating the person met the service and death conditions.
  • For those who enlisted in the Philippines during 1939–1946, the bill removes two statutory barriers by not applying section 319(d) and not applying section 1703 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, enabling access to posthumous benefits and clarifying cross-references.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Posthumous citizenship for fallen noncitizen troops

If enacted, families could request posthumous U.S. citizenship for a person who served honorably on active duty while a noncitizen and died from a service‑related injury or disease. It would also cover people who enlisted or were inducted in the Philippines and died between September 1, 1939 and December 31, 1946, or who met existing wartime service rules. The executive department the person served under would have to confirm these facts, and the request would need an official certificate from that department. For the Philippines group, two existing legal limits would not apply (INA 319(d) and a 2004 defense law section 1703). It would also clarify that timing rules for that group use the date this clause is enacted.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 12/2/2025

  • Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 12/2/2025

  • Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 12/2/2025

  • Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large]

    GU • R

    Sponsored 3/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation