# Plain Language Summary: Dual Citizenship Disclosure Act

This bill would require members of Congress who hold citizenship or nationality in a foreign country to file a disclosure statement with their chamber's ethics committee within 90 days of taking office. Essentially, if you're elected to Congress and you're also a citizen of another country, you'd need to officially tell the House Ethics Committee or Senate Ethics Committee about that status. The bill defines "foreign national" using the standard immigration law definition—basically, anyone who is a citizen or national of another country.

The main consequence for not filing this statement or filing an incomplete one is a fine of up to $2,500, which would be in addition to any other penalties the House or Senate might impose under their own rules. However, if a member already filed this disclosure in a previous Congress, they wouldn't need to file it again—it's a one-time requirement per person. The bill would take effect starting with the 119th Congress (which began in 2025) and apply to all future Congresses.

In practical terms, this bill is about transparency and disclosure. It doesn't prevent anyone from serving in Congress if they hold dual citizenship—it just requires them to publicly acknowledge it. The impact would primarily affect the relatively small number of members who hold citizenship in multiple countries, making their status a matter of official record rather than something that might be discovered later or remain private.

Dual Citizenship Disclosure Act

Burchett, Tim

<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">Dual Citizenship Disclosure Act This bill requires Members of Congress who are foreign nationals to file a statement with the appropriate congressional ethics committee describing their status as a foreign national. The congressional ethics committees may fine a Member up to $2,500 for non-compliance. </body></html>