Subcommittee debates requiring USCIS civics test for public college graduation

The subcommittee reviewed HB112, a measure that would require students in the University System and Community College System to pass the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) civics naturalization test as a condition of graduation. The test is already used in the state’s high‑school program; supporters said extending it to postsecondary programs would reinforce civic knowledge.

The prime sponsor framed the bill as an effort to assure graduates possess a baseline of civic understanding. “Civic actions matter and also knowledge matters,” the sponsor said, adding that other states and some universities already use similar requirements and praising the high‑school implementation as successful.

Opponents included university trustees and some committee members who raised several concerns: how the requirement would apply to out‑of‑state or international students, whether the test content is the right measure of civic understanding, and the potential for administrative and fiscal cost for the systems. Trustees at a recent University System meeting had unanimously opposed the bill, the chair told the committee.

Representative Damon and others argued some test items (for example, historical or geographic questions) do not reflect practical civic skills, while other supporters said the test is a modest, published, objective assessment and could be delivered online with minimal cost. Representative Damon specifically noted questions such as “what territory did the U.S. buy from France in 1803?” and questioned whether that measure serves civic competency.

Fiscal and operational points were contested. The sponsor disputed a large fiscal note the Office of Legislative Services deferred to postsecondary experts to prepare; the sponsor said institutions already run online assessments and that the cost should be minimal. Other members pushed back, urging reliance on fiscal estimates and cautioning against dismissing them without analysis.

The subcommittee heard that prior iterations of a similar measure had passed the House previously but stalled in the Senate or were vetoed by the governor on timing grounds; the sponsor said he had previously met with the governor’s office. No formal action was taken at the hearing; members will caucus and the subcommittee will reconvene for further consideration.

Proponents emphasized the measure’s intent to promote baseline civic literacy among graduates. Opponents cited trustee opposition, cost and the question whether the USCIS naturalization test is the best instrument for assessing civic competence among college graduates.