S. 4973 explained  ·  119th Congress  ·  Pending in Congress

American Citizenship Act

Create a free account or sign in to follow S. 4973 and get alerts. Policy area: Immigration Create a free account or sign in to follow the Immigration policy area and get alerts. ▲ 97 days since action Sponsor: Eric Schmitt, MO-Senate, R → Congress.gov

Cosponsors: 1 (0 D, 1 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-14

Introduced: 2026-07-14

Latest action (2026-07-14): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

What S. 4973 does, in plain terms

The Congressional Research Service has not published a summary of S. 4973 yet. Its official title: “American Citizenship Act”.

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What should pass

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Birthright Citizenship Clarification Commission Act of 2025

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To restrict birthright citizenship to children of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, thereby removing the incentive for illegal immigration by ensuring that children born in the United States to parents who are not lawfully present do not automatically become citizens.

Bipartisan rationale: Honors Democratic priorities by preserving the current interpretation of birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment and avoiding any statutory change that would risk constitutional challenge or immediate denial of citizenship to children born in the United States. Honors Republican priorities by formally studying the constitutional foundation of birthright citizenship, acknowledging concerns about illegal immigration incentives, and providing a pathway to a constitutional amendment if the Commission finds it warranted, thereby respecting the amendment process rather than unilateral statutory action.

Funding: General fund of the Treasury through appro $5,000,000 total for fiscal ye Sunset 3y Oversight: House and Senate Committees on Enforcement: None directly; the Commission's repo
→ Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (Necessary and Proper Clause to establish the Commission) → Fourteenth Amendment, Section 5 (Congress's power to enforce by appropriate legislation, used here to study rather than override the clause) → Tenth Amendment (reserving to the states or the people the power to amend the Constitution, which this bill respects by proposing only a study and potential amendment)

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 Amendment XIV, Section 5 Amendment X

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