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Government Language Modernization: Replacing 'Alien' with Neutral Terms

This act aims to change the language used by government agencies, eliminating derogatory terms like "alien" and "illegal alien." Instead, documents will use neutral terms to improve communication and respect for non-citizens. For citizens, this means more precise and less stigmatizing language in official documents.
Key points
Government agencies will be prohibited from using the terms "alien" and "illegal alien" in their documents, publications, and signs.
A uniform definition for the term "foreign national" will be established across all federal acts.
All existing references to "alien" will be replaced with "foreign national," and "illegal alien" with "undocumented foreign national."
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_HR_457
Sponsor: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20]
Process start date: 2021-01-25
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression (CHANGE) Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_HR_457.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-01-25.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Government agencies will be prohibited from using the terms "alien" and "illegal alien" in their documents, publications, and signs.
  • A uniform definition for the term "foreign national" will be established across all federal acts.
  • All existing references to "alien" will be replaced with "foreign national," and "illegal alien" with "undocumented foreign national."
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2026-01-02.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Migration Courts and Law