Adoption measure signed into law

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- President Clinton has signed a bill cosponsored by Oklahoma Sen. Don Nickles that allows foreign-born children adopted by U.S. families to receive automatic citizenship.

The measure called Child Citizenship Act of 2000 provides automatic citizenship to foreign-born children adopted by at least one citizen parent.

The child's U.S. citizenship becomes automatic once the child is finally adopted and is residing in the United States after having been lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

Presently, natural-born children of U.S. citizens born abroad receive automatic U.S. citizenship as soon as the parents present proof of citizenship at a U.S. embassy.

Citizenship laws have been amended over the years to make less burdensome the process by which a foreign-born child adopted by a U.S. citizen acquires citizenship.

The bill continues and completes that process by conferring citizenship automatically, Nickles, R-Okla., said in the news release.